Porsche, like many luxury brands, has embraced the electric future of vehicles. The all-electric Taycan is a smash hit that changed people’s expectations for electric vehicles. Recently an exciting test car was spotted on the Nurburgring that hints at a hybrid 911 on the horizon.

Porsche has had great success with electric vehicles

Like most other major automakers, Porsche has embraced hybrid and electric technology. The brand currently offers one all-electric model (the Taycan) and two plug-in hybrid models (the Cayenne E-Hybrid and the Panamera E-Hybrid). Its first all-electric vehicle has met with stunning success. 

The Porsche Taycan has outperformed the combined sales of the 718 and the 911. Only the Cayenne and Macan sold more. Its popularity has shaped public perception of EVs. The brand has already changed what people think an all-electric vehicle can look and feel like. 

A tell-tale yellow sticker gives the Porsche 911 hybrid away

Early glimpses of test cars in development often give insights into upcoming models. A Porche 911 was recently spotted at the test track, sporting a yellow sticker. The yellow sticker s a requirement of all hybridized vehicles being tested in Germany.

Porsche confirmed it built the Mk8 (992-series) 911 to accommodate hybrid and plug-in hybrid systems. The blacked-out rear window of the recently spotted test vehicle is likely intended to hide the earliest version of those systems. With the tell-tale yellow sticker identifying it as a hybrid, it’s not hard to imagine what’s hiding behind the black paint.

Production specs could vary significantly from the test car spotted on the Nurburgring. If the test car is any indicator, the hybrid 911 will not be a plug-in model. Photos of the test car published by carscoops show no visible charging port door.

An all-electric 911 is still years away

Porsche’s entries to the electric and hybrid markets have hit the mark. A hybrid 911 would be a compelling and exciting example of what a hybrid can do. The Porsche name, backed by 90 years of sports car expertise, can change public perceptions about the limitations of electric vehicles.

The brand has made conflicting statements about a future all-electric 911. Hints that a hybrid 911 is a stepping stone toward an all-electric version directly oppose quotes from the brand’s CEO. 

In 2018, Former Head of Sports Car Development August Achleitner told Autocar: “We’ve taken the experience we gained with hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the 918 Spyder, and applied it to the new 911. In the future, this will allow us to offer [the 911] with pure-electric capability.”

In March 2021, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume held a media call before the company’s annual meeting. He had this to say about an all-electric 911: “The 911 is our icon. We will continue to build the 911 with a combustion engine. The concept of the 911 doesn’t allow a fully electric car because we have the engine in the rear. To put the weight of the battery in the rear, you wouldn’t be able to drive the car.”