The Porsche Cayenne was not the brand’s first ever electric vehicle as some online claims state, but the 2025 Porsche 718 will be the marque’s first two-seater electric vehicle (EV) sports car, replacing the fuel-burning Boxster and Cayman 718 models.

Contrary to popular belief, the very first Porsche-built vehicle was battery powered. Porsche technically entered the electric car making realm in in 1898 when Ferdinand Porsche designed the Egger-Lohner EV C.2 Phaeton model, also known as the P1. Well before he founded the Porsche company in 1931, 22-year-old Ferdinand Porsche designed the P1 car for carmaker Jacob Lohner. The P1 hit the streets of Vienna, Austria, on June 26, 1898. It could reach 21 mph and drove up to 49 miles on a single charge.

Plastic placeholders show the original P1 design, displayed at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany. Source: Porsche

Considering Porsche’s history in EVs, which began long before emissions standards existed, let alone increased to the point of threatening the internal combustion engine in trade for EVs, the gravitation toward offering a factory production sport coupe is only natural. Speculations insist that the 2025 Porsche 718 will not disappoint.

“We are stepping up our electric offensive with another model. By the middle of the decade, we want to offer our mid-engine 718 sports car exclusively in an all-electric form,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said.

The new 718 EV design has not yet been released, but Porsche’s Mission R race car concept, which features a Cayman-like body and a 900-V battery could be the closest representation at this time.

According to a report from Car and Driver, the 718 EV will be all-new with nothing carrying over from the prior naturally aspirated model, aside from Porsche’s legendary performance and handling capabilities. The model will be built on the Volkswagen Group's PPE platform and is expected to be just as well-balanced with the battery being mounted near the firewall where the engine used to reside. Fast-charging is expected, assisted by 900-V electrical architecture.

The EV sports car’s targeted weight is 3,650 pounds, light for a battery-powered vehicle. Car and Driver says to expect the base model to be powered be a single motor offering at least 450-horsepower to the rear wheels, with a second motor available later on to drive the front wheels, transforming the 718 into an all-wheel-drive monster. There could even be a 1,000-plus horsepower model on the horizon.

The success of the 2025 718 EV could determine the direction that Porsche takes with its future electric sports cars. So far, there’s no news of a battery-powered Porsche 911, but a hybrid version will likely make its rounds.

In the meantime, the 718 EV is expected to be available for sale in fall 2024 with a price tag of approximately $15k more than the current 718 base model. Prices could start at around $80,000 go up with the usual ample availability of factory options.

Editor's note: This article originally appeared on Hemmings Motor News.