Porche unveils new hybrid sports car

(NewsNation) — Some cars, like Ford’s Mustang, have made smooth transitions from gas-powered to electric. But others are just meant to make that classic vroom-vroom sound. It looks like the German auto maker Porche has decided that’s the case with its iconic 911 sports car.

Porche has announced that it will produce a hybrid version of the 911 rather than go all-electric.

“We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,” said Porche vice president Frank Moser in a company news release.

“The result is a unique powertrain that is well-integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly,” he added.

Porche already produces several all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Despite a slowdown in EV sales, Porche says it expects that 80% of it global sales by 2030 will be partially or fully electric vehicles.

In the U.S., demand for EVs has slowed, while sales of hybrid vehicles have nearly doubled over the past year.

Hybrids, which combine an internal combustion engine with a battery-powered electric motor, tend to get better gas mileage than their nonhybrid counterparts but don’t have the range limitations that many fear with fully electric vehicles.

The hybrid 911 also ushers several upgrades to the model, including a fully digital instrument display that each driver can customize. Each version of the 911 will have its own unique front, the headline array has been changed, and the suspension will integrate rear-axle steering.

The 911 hybrid will hit U.S. showrooms by the end of this year, with a starting price tag of $164,900. The non-hybrid 911 starts at about $120,000.