Porsche Considers Cancelling Electric 718 Boxster and Cayman

According to Bloomberg, Porsche is reconsidering its all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman amid rising costs, weaker EV demand and falling sales in China. Read the analysis.

Porsche may be preparing to hit the pause button on one of its most sensitive projects: the all-electric versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman. According to people familiar with the matter, the company is considering scrapping the models before they reach production, in an effort to avoid rising development costs and the risk of an expensive misstep.

The electric Boxster and Cayman were conceived as successors to the current combustion-engine 718 models, whose production has already ended in Europe. The next-generation 718 was expected to be fully electric and arrive later in the decade, but the project has been burdened by escalating costs and technical challenges, particularly related to battery development and packaging.

These internal hurdles come at a time when the global electric vehicle market is losing momentum. EV demand has slowed in several regions, while government incentives have been reduced or withdrawn altogether. For Porsche, this shift coincides with a sharp downturn in China, one of its most important markets. Official figures show the brand’s deliveries in China fell by 26 percent in 2025, a decline the company attributes to weakness in the luxury segment and intensifying competition, including from domestic EV manufacturers.

Leadership pressure adds another layer to the situation. Michael Leiters, who took over as Porsche’s chief executive at the start of 2026, inherited a company facing its steepest sales decline since 2009. Against that backdrop, reassessing capital-intensive EV programs with uncertain returns appears to be a pragmatic move.

For now, abandoning the electric 718 is not a final decision. Porsche has indicated that discussions are ongoing, and alternative paths remain on the table. These include maintaining combustion-engine options or pursuing a more flexible platform strategy that does not rely exclusively on battery-electric drivetrains.

The fate of the electric Boxster and Cayman could prove emblematic of a broader industry recalibration. Even performance-focused brands with strong identities are being forced to temper their electrification ambitions as market conditions evolve. For Porsche, this may signal a more cautious and adaptive approach to electrification than the one envisioned just a few years ago.