That the Chinese market was the biggest car market in the world and a “paradise” for electric models we already knew. What we didn't know is that we also have the Chinese market to thank that the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman still exist.
According to Frank-Steffen Walliser, director of Porsche-Motorsport, "if it weren't for China, the entire 718 range would not exist", referring to the importance of sales in China of the Boxster and Cayman 718s when deciding whether they should or not be produced.
The statement was made in an interview given to Road & Track on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Motor Show and proves the importance that that market has in defining the ranges of manufacturers.
Electric future on the way?
The reason why the 718 Boxster and Cayman are so successful in the Chinese market is simple: as in Portugal, cars there are also taxed based on their displacement and this favors models with smaller engines like the four-cylinder boxer with just 2.0 l of capacity from the 718 Boxster and Cayman.
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In the same interview, Frank-Steffen Walliser discussed the possibility of an electric 718 and stated that a Porsche electric sports car is an inevitability.
Still, the German brand executive did not commit to dates, stating only that, given what he had said about China, this was undoubtedly a possibility to consider.
Finally, when asked about the possibility of having an electric 718 at the same time as one with a combustion engine (as will happen with the Macan), Walliser left this possibility in the air, stating that it is preferable to make an electric model and another with combustion engine than “something in between that is not convincing”.
Source: Road & Track.