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Porsche unveils all-electric Boxster E

German automaker Porsche has unveiled a trio of all-electric Boxster E roadsters, with the intent to use them in a large-scale technology trial.
Written by Andrew Nusca, Contributor

German automaker Porsche unveiled on Monday a trio of all-electric Boxster E roadsters, with the intent to use them in a large-scale technology trial.

The plan is to use the vehicles as a way to examine how their electric powertrains impact driver behavior, with the hope of incorporating insights into future products -- not just vehicles, but the charging infrastructure to support them.

Local officials said they wanted to kickstart the development of sustainable mobility in the Stuttgart area of Germany, Porsche's hometown. Of course, the automaker wants to see how it can transition to an electric powertrain without giving up the sporty performance it's known for.

Stuttgart is one of eight regions to test electric mobility in Germany, part of a bigger federal project that involves the implementation of pilots for electric vehicles and electric infrastructure this year.

(Despite Germany's well-known austerity measures, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs has approx. $176 million in economic stimulus to fund the tests.)

Why the Boxster, you ask? Officials like the car because it's a two-seater -- that is, light enough to easily accommodate the heavy electric components such as a motor, battery and all the high-voltage trimmings that come with it.

The configuration of the three Boxster E models will vary, but they'll have up to two electric motors totaling 180 kW paired to a battery with a capacity of 29 kilowatt-hours.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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