Porsche E-Mobility Push Feeling Odd, Despite New Cayenne S E-Hybrid At Amelia Island

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2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 79

2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid LED front nosePorsche is diving head-first into the vat of battery acid these days – with the Panamera S E-Hybrid refreshed with quad-LEDs in the headlamp ring and the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid sharing the square-LED quad DRL setup of the top-line Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne Turbo S.

Proudly on display alongside the 918 Spyder and a few Porsche PHEV plug-in stations on the lawns of Amelia Island Concours, the E-Mobility Porsches are promising and smoother, quieter and more serene than anything else to wear the Porsche crest.2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid led hadligt

This is largely thanks to softer suspension tuning in standard drive modes, alongside a torque-converter eight-speed automatic. This slushbox is a big change versus the PDK auto that is typically the only PRNDL choice for these two four-door porkers.

In white with polished wheels and dark-painted inner spokes, the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and Cayenne S E-Hybrid are still rocking the bright-green color accent on the badges, brake calipers and other detailing. This is starting to feel dated, as is the super-premium pricing of the E-Hybrid models from Porsche. Considering the half-price gasoline in the USA versus this time a year ago, the $35,000 premium for the hybrid models over base V6 engines is starting to feel quite unnecessary indeed.2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid LED brakelights

Atop that, the resale value of every plug-in hybrid vehicle was recently cited in KBB.com as a major drag on resale values. Anything with a plug and a gas engine — or all pure EVs bar the Tesla Model S — typically are worth 25-percent less than its gasoline or diesel equivalent after 3 years. That is a dramatic loss in value. Buyers prepared to shell out $150k for a new Porsche hybrid are surely smart enough to know a bad value when they see one.

At least until gasoline spikes again, the Porsche E-Mobility push is feeling quite out-of-touch with the times in Spring 2015. That might explain the Turbo-style details in the LEDs of these pluggers….2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 87

POST SCRIPT:

Why are they jacking up these precious Porsches in a few of the photos? To make sure the wheel caps and their Porsche emblems are laser-level on all four wheels!  Impressive.  Prestige Autos US is the fleet of choice, from Porsche USA’s hometown in the ATL.

 

2015 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

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2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 69 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 84 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 83 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 82 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 81 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 80 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 79 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 78 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 77 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 76 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 75 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 74 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 73 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 72 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 71 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 70

2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid LED front nose 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid led hadligt