• Porsche still plans to release the 718 EV sports car, despite lengthy delays.
• Porsche CEO Michael Leiters confirmed the plans to a German newspaper, stating that it "will be a fantastic car."
• The 718 EV was originally supposed to go on sale in 2025, but now may not show up until late 2027.

We've been hearing about an electric replacement for Porsche's 718 sports cars—the Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe—since 2021, when Porsche previewed the model with the Mission R concept. But the 718 EVs were originally pegged to arrive in 2025, and now we're well over halfway through 2026 with no sign of an impending reveal. But despite rumors of the 718 EV's demise, Porsche promises that the electric sports car is still coming.

Porsche CEO Michael Leiters confirmed that the company is still working on the 718 EV in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as reported by InsideEVs. "With the electric 718, we came to the conclusion that we will build the model because it is the best solution economically and will be a fantastic car," he said.

The confirmation that Porsche still intends to release the 718 EV comes despite the brand's financial struggles, which have partly stemmed from an overinvestment in EVs in a cooling market. Sales of the Taycan have been dropping, while the Macan Electric hasn't quite attracted the same level of interest as the gas-powered Macan that it effectively replaces. This has led Porsche to start development of a new entry-level internal-combustion SUV, expected in 2028. The company also decided that its upcoming flagship SUV (codenamed K1) will come with gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains rather than the electric setup that was originally planned.

Very little is known about the 718 EV's technical specifications, but we expect to it to ride on an 800-volt architecture to allow for rapid charging and offer both single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants. Spy photos point to a similar shape to the previous 718 models, albeit with different headlight and taillight designs.

The 718 has historically been Porsche's entry-level sports car, and while it will likely still cost less than a base 911, the price tag will also probably start notably higher than the recently departed gas-powered 718 models. While Porsche says the car is still happening, we're not sure when it will be revealed, although we wouldn't be shocked to see it by the end of this year, with sales possibly starting in late 2027.