Porsche: We will make an electric car

Porsche has confirmed its intention to create an all-electric sports car to rival the Tesla Roadster. The company has built three all-electric Boxsters, which it intends to use as research vehicles to gain an insight into the behaviour of electric-car users.

Sadly, the test programme won't be accessible to the general public. The electric Boxsters will be driven by a lucky, hand-picked few as part of the Modellregion Elektromobilitaet programme in Stuttgart, Germany, starting from early next year.

Stuttgart aside, it'll probably be some time before we see electric Porsches on the road. Michael Macht, chief executive of Porsche AG, said: "We will definitely be offering an electric sports car in future but such a concept only makes sense if it offers performance and a cruising range comparable to that of a sports car today." In other words, charging times will have to decrease and battery technology will have to improve dramatically.

In the interim, Porsche lovers should turn their attention to the eRUF Concept Model A 2008 -- a Porsche 911 modified to use electric power -- or wait for one of Porche's forthcoming hybrid cars. The company is still beavering away on hybrid versions of the Cayenne, Panamera, GT3 R, and 918 Spyder supercar that we drooled over earlier in the year.

Stick around. We'll bring you more news on Porsche's electric ambitions as we get it.