Even performance car tuning firms are not averse to the idea of ‘greening’ their wares, now Ruf has lifted the covers off an electric Porsche 911.
By Gareth Dean
It had to happen sooner or later…Porsche’s earlier defiance in the face of increasing congestion charges in London has given way to talk of four-cylinder engines, a fuel-sipping revived 914, and now a battery-powered 911 dubbed the eRuf.
German Porsche modification specialist Ruf has dispensed with the flat-six engine and replaced it with a three-phase motor that feeds off a lithium-ion phosphate battery pack that comprises 96 individual cells generating 317 volts and 480 amps. The motor and battery pack has been slug over the back axle and the 911’s rear-wheel drive layout has been retained.
As we all know, the beauty of electric powerplants is their ability to serve up all of their torques from zero revs, which (in the case of an especially powerful set-up) often equates to tyre-blistering acceleration.
Granted, it’s not going to give any of Porsche’s petrol-engined models any sleepless nights, but the eRuf’s engineers claim that it will crack 0-100 km/h in a shade under 7,0 seconds on the way to a 257 km/h top speed.
It sounds good – ample pace, Porsche looks, and a two-fingered salute to the bleatings of anti-car tree-huggers. There are some drawbacks, though. While lithium-ion technology is clean(ish), it does add a considerable amount of weight to the car…in the case of the eRuf, it’s an additional 641 kg. That sees the car tip the scales at 1910 kg, in contrast to the relatively sylph-like Carrera S at 1420 kg. Another downside is that the eRuf’s range is limited to just under 300 km (we’re assuming this figure was not attained via lead-footed antics behind the wheel) and a recharge takes 10 hours.
The eRuf, much like the lithium-ion technology that propels it, is still in the development stage, so it’s possible that the car’s performance, range and kerb weight will be improved when it finally goes into production.