RUF unveils electric Porsche 911 with 150kW motor
RUF Automobile has officially introduced its first electric sports car, a converted Porsche 911, featuring a 150kW motor and a claimed range of up to 320km.
RUF Automobile has made its electric Porsche project official, confirming the German tuner’s first battery-powered sports car is based on the 911 rather than the Cayman. The announcement, made in October 2008, detailed a prototype fitted with a 150kW (204hp equivalent) electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.
The motor delivers 650Nm of torque, with RUF quoting a 0-100km/h time of 7 seconds. Top speed is listed at 225km/h. These figures put the electric 911 close to the performance of a contemporary 911 Carrera with a conventional engine, though the electric version’s acceleration is slightly slower.
Battery technology and range
Power comes from Axeon iron-phosphate lithium-ion batteries, each weighing 5.6kg and rated at 160Ah. The full battery pack enables a claimed driving range of 250 to 320km, depending on usage and driving style. The batteries are designed to deliver high current for strong acceleration, but also provide enough capacity for longer journeys by electric sports car standards of the time.
RUF’s move into electric vehicles came at a time when few established sports car manufacturers had shown working electric prototypes. Tesla had launched its Roadster in the US, but European rivals were limited. RUF’s electric 911 therefore served both as a technical showcase and a signal that established tuners were taking electric power seriously.
Performance compared to rivals
With 150kW and 650Nm, the RUF electric 911 offered more torque than any petrol 911 of its era, though outright power and acceleration lagged behind the fastest conventional models. Its 0-100km/h time of 7 seconds was respectable for an electric car in 2008. The Tesla Roadster, for comparison, claimed a 0-60mph time of under 4 seconds, but the RUF’s focus was on adapting an established sports car platform rather than building a ground-up EV.
RUF did not announce production plans or pricing for the electric 911 at launch. The project was described as a prototype, intended to explore the potential of electric drivetrains in high-performance vehicles based on existing Porsche architecture.
Context in the electric sports car market
The electric 911 arrived as European interest in electric vehicles was growing, but before mainstream manufacturers had launched battery-powered sports cars. Its range and performance figures were competitive for the period, though the car remained a prototype. RUF’s project showed that specialist firms could adapt existing sports cars to electric power, foreshadowing later developments in the segment.
