Firm buys Tesla Roadster to evaluate future eco model.

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Is an all-electric 911 just around the corner? Porsche’s engineers have shelled out $148,272 on their very own Tesla Roadster for ‘research purposes’.
The Lotus Elise-based two-door – which proves that battery power and driving thrills can go hand-in-hand – will be analysed and taken apart by the German firm so technicians can further their electric car know-how.

Buying a competitor’s vehicle for R&D purposes is nothing new. But when a company such as Porsche admits to eyeing up an entirely new type of
propulsion, it’s big news!

Rumour has it the firm is already testing a prototype, although it won’t release any details until it’s entirely happy with the product. This won’t be the first electric Porsche, though. That accolade goes to German tuning specialist Ruf, with its 911-based E-Ruf.

However, Porsche is said to be disappointed with the performance of the E-Ruf – it covers 0-60mph in just under seven seconds and goes on to a top speed of 140mph.

UPDATE

German tuner swaps flat-six for electric motor.

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Think of a Porsche 911, and you hardly think green – particularly when it’s modified by German powerhouse, Ruf. But Auto Express has driven the world’s first zero-emission 911!

The E-Ruf is the dream of Alois Ruf, boss of the tuning firm, and has input from Dundee battery expert Axeon and specialist Californian car maker CalMotors.

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It swaps the familiar flat-six for a 201bhp electric motor which packs 650Nm of torque – that’s more than a 911 Turbo! Hi-tech lithium-ion batteries provide 51KWh, and the powertrain propels the E-Ruf from 0-60mph in less than seven seconds.

Apart from sealed air intakes up front, the E-Ruf is pure 911 on the outside, and the interior is familiar, too, except for a bank of extra switches.

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Driving it is a matter of slotting the gearlever into sixth and pressing the throttle. This car uses a standard 911 gearbox, but the next prototype will
have a unique transmission.

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Getaways are slow, and aren’t helped by the car’s hefty 1,910kg kerbweight. But once rolling, the E-Ruf is rapid and completely smooth. Handling is affected by the weight, despite stiffer springs, and there are lots of whirrs and whines, too.

But the famed 911 ‘feel’ is there, as it uses the standard car’s steering and brakes. A production-ready E-Ruf could appear in the next few years.

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