A Porsche Boxster EV test vehicle has been spotted charging, highlighting the brand’s future offerings.
It’s no secret that Porsche is working on its next-generation EV platform. With a 900-volt architecture underpinning the drivetrain, and numerous performance upgrades, many expect the premium German brand’s next generation of EVs to be an incredible leap in innovation. Along with these upgrades, a Porsche Boxster EV test vehicle shows that more of the company’s different body styles will join the Taycan sedan.
The Porsche test vehicle, which has been spotted numerous times throughout Europe, has most recently been seen charging up at an Ionity station, Photos of the convertible were then posted by @electricfelix on Twitter, showing a refreshed and more aggressive “Boxster of the future.”
THANK YOU @nextmove_de for showing us the Porsche 718 Boxster EV fast charging at IONITY!!!
⚡️⚡️⚡️
One can only dream to see this charging curve in real life!#alwaysbecharging#porsche
#718 #nextmove#spotted#nextnews #boxster180 kW avg charging speed at 53% SoC! pic.twitter.com/zYdbIiScFH
— Felix Hamer • electricfelix (@electricfelix) February 3, 2023
For Porsche enthusiasts with the itch for an electric vehicle, your options have been incredibly limited for the longest time. While the Porsche Taycan sedan and “shooting brake” offer numerous trims and options, many have lamented the lack of an electric coupe or convertible offering; clearly, that is about to change.
Despite the incredibly revealing photos of the vehicle taken today, very little is known about the upcoming electric Boxster, but we can make some solid inferences. First and foremost, the new car will undoubtedly be based on Porsche’s forthcoming PPE platform, bringing 900-volt architecture, a new motor design, suspension upgrades, and much more to the convertible offering. Second, with the Boxster traditionally being the “budget” offering of the premium automaker, it is likely to come with a single-motor RWD offering standard, with the potential of a dual-motor AWD system available as an upgrade.
While pricing information has obviously not been released, the “entry-level” Porsche is set to start at roughly $80,000, according to numerous predictions. Further, while it remains unclear if the Boxster will proceed the Macan EV, both vehicles are expected to hit dealer lots by 2025.
But the return of Porsche’s famous convertible model line isn’t the only reason to be excited. The other Porsche test vehicle which has been making the rounds is the 718 GT4 ePerformance, a track vehicle that has been showing up at racing events around the world—potentially indicating that a true electric 911 could follow the Boxster’s introduction with even better performance.
Porsche was not immediately available for comment to Teslarati regarding its upcoming offerings.
With this innovation and numerous others coming to Porsche’s next-generation platform, the German automaker is set to introduce a showstopping lineup that could finally rival the technical prowess of current market leader, Tesla. Hopefully, this continued investment in EV technology can eventually result in a better electric vehicle ownership experience for not only sportscar drivers but also everyone else.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
News
Tesla Giga Berlin dispute against IG Metall union leads to investigation
As per a report from rbb24, police seized a laptop belonging to an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday afternoon.
German authorities have opened an investigation into an IG Metall union representative following allegations that a confidential works council meeting at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin was secretly recorded. The probe follows a criminal complaint filed by Tesla management last week.
As per a report from rbb24, police seized a laptop belonging to an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors in Frankfurt (Oder) confirmed that an investigation is underway into a possible unauthorized audio recording of an internal works council meeting.
Under German law, recording a non-public meeting without consent may constitute a criminal offense.
Tesla stated that Gigafactory Berlin employees alerted management after allegedly discovering that an external union representative, who was attending the event as a guest, had recorded the session. Plant manager André Thierig stated in a post on X that the representative was “caught in action,” prompting the company to contact police and file a criminal complaint.
The seized device is now part of the investigation, and authorities will determine whether any unlawful recording had indeed occurred.
IG Metall has denied the accusation. In comments to German media, representatives rejected Tesla’s claim and described the electric vehicle maker’s allegation as an election campaign tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections.
The election at Tesla’s Grünheide plant is scheduled for March 2–4, 2026, with about 11,000 employees being eligible to vote. Regular works council elections in Germany are held every four years between March and May.
The incident comes amid tensions between Tesla and organized labor in Germany. While works councils operate independently from unions, IG Metall has been active at the plant and has previously criticized Tesla’s labor practices. Authorities, for their part, have not yet announced whether charges will be filed, though the investigation remains ongoing.
News
Tesla rolls out xAI’s Grok to vehicles across Europe
The initial rollout includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain.
Tesla is rolling out Grok to vehicles in Europe. The feature will initially launch in nine European territories.
In a post on X, the official Tesla Europe, Middle East & Africa account confirmed that Grok is coming to Teslas in Europe. The initial rollout includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain, and additional markets are expected to be added later.
Grok allows drivers to ask questions using real-time information and interact hands-free while driving. According to Tesla’s support documentation, Grok can also initiate navigation commands, enabling users to search for destinations, discover points of interest, and adjust routes without touching the touchscreen, as per the feature’s official webpage.
The system offers selectable personalities, ranging from “Storyteller” to “Unhinged,” and is activated either through the App Launcher or by pressing and holding the steering wheel’s microphone button.
Grok is currently available only on Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck vehicles equipped with an AMD infotainment processor. Vehicles must be running software version 2025.26 or later, with navigation command support requiring version 2025.44.25 or newer.
Drivers must also have Premium Connectivity or a stable Wi-Fi connection to use the feature. Tesla notes that Grok does not currently replace standard voice commands for vehicle controls such as climate or media adjustments.
The company has stated that Grok interactions are processed securely by xAI and are not linked to individual drivers or vehicles. Users do not need a Grok account or subscription to enable the feature at this time as well.
News
Tesla ends Full Self-Driving purchase option in the U.S.
In January, Musk announced that Tesla would remove the ability to purchase the suite outright for $8,000. This would give the vehicle Full Self-Driving for its entire lifespan, but Tesla intended to move away from it, for several reasons, one being that a tranche in the CEO’s pay package requires 10 million active subscriptions of FSD.
Tesla has officially ended the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that was announced for the United States market in January by CEO Elon Musk.
The driver assistance suite is now exclusively available in the U.S. as a subscription, which is currently priced at $99 per month.
Tesla moved away from the outright purchase option in an effort to move more people to the subscription program, but there are concerns over its current price and the potential for it to rise.
In January, Musk announced that Tesla would remove the ability to purchase the suite outright for $8,000. This would give the vehicle Full Self-Driving for its entire lifespan, but Tesla intended to move away from it, for several reasons, one being that a tranche in the CEO’s pay package requires 10 million active subscriptions of FSD.
Although Tesla moved back the deadline in other countries, it has now taken effect in the U.S. on Sunday morning. Tesla updated its website to reflect this:
🚨 Tesla has officially moved the outright purchase option for FSD on its website pic.twitter.com/RZt1oIevB3
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 15, 2026
There are still some concerns regarding its price, as $99 per month is not where many consumers are hoping to see the subscription price stay.
Musk has said that as capabilities improve, the price will go up, but it seems unlikely that 10 million drivers will want to pay an extra $100 every month for the capability, even if it is extremely useful.
Instead, many owners and fans of the company are calling for Tesla to offer a different type of pricing platform. This includes a tiered-system that would let owners pick and choose the features they would want for varying prices, or even a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual pricing option, which would incentivize longer-term purchasing.
Although Musk and other Tesla are aware of FSD’s capabilities and state is is worth much more than its current price, there could be some merit in the idea of offering a price for Supervised FSD and another price for Unsupervised FSD when it becomes available.
Tesla Giga Berlin dispute against IG Metall union leads to investigation
Tesla rolls out xAI’s Grok to vehicles across Europe
