2025 Porsche 911 Turbo S Hybrid, near the end of development

Porsche has ruled out an electric 911, at least for now, but there is no doubt that hybrid technology will be available starting with the current 992 generation.

When the 992 911 undergoes a mid-cycle facelift in the next year or so, several variants will feature electric powertrains.

One of these is expected to be the 911 Turbo S, and a facelift version has been spotted again in prototype form. While the prototype under test may look like the current 911 Turbo S, the yellow stickers on some of them are industry requirements for electrified test cars in certain countries, including Porsche's home base of Germany.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said the hybrid 911 will be available in 2022, and in a speech just last month, he said the debut would take place this summer. He had previously said that the car would be a hybrid in the vein of the former 919 Hybrid LMP1 racing car, not a plug-in hybrid like the hypercar 918 Spyder. In other words, there is no plug; the electric motor-generator is used purely to support the internal combustion engine and to recover energy during braking.

According to sources, the 911 Turbo S Hybrid will use a 400-volt electrical system, rather than an 800-volt system like the electric Taycan. The higher voltage system is better suited for fast charging, which is not necessary for hybrids whose batteries are much smaller than those of EVs.

Expect the electric motor to be integrated with the transmission. Former 911 chief August Achleitner said in a 2019 Motor Authority interview that the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in the 992-generation 911 is the same unit used in the hybrid version of the Panamera, and that the electric motor is also integrated with the transmission, he said.

A facelifted version of the regular 911 Turbo is also being tested. Rumor has it that this model skips hybrid technology for now.

The facelifted 911 Turbo S will also feature some styling tweaks. The prototype reveals new designs for the taillights and exhaust tips. The front mask features a new intake design with a vertical grille and new LED headlight internals. The turn signals may also be integrated with the headlights instead of being on the front mask as in the current design.

The updated 911 Turbo S is expected to go on sale late this year or early next year. It should also appear at about the same time as the facelifted 911 Carerra, which is expected to offer a hybrid option. Both grades should appear as 2025 models in the U.S.

and the 911 Carerra should appear as a 2025 model in the U.S.