Porsche’s new Panamera S E-Hybrid PHEV incorporates dramatic improvements over the hybrid model that it’s replacing, and the company expects that to drive dramatically better sales.

Porsche is forecasting about 10,000 sales over the E-Hybrid’s life cycle, which represents double the figure for the company’s first-generation hybrid, and about 10 percent of all Panamera sales.

The new Porsche plug-in features a 9.4 kWh lithium-ion battery – a huge upgrade over the old model’s 1.7 kWh nickel-metal hydride battery – and has an electric range of around 22 miles. The electric powertrain produces 95 hp, and joins a supercharged 333 hp V6 gas engine to crank out a combined 416 hp. This is green tech at its finest, with a top speed of 167 mph and fuel economy of 76 mpg (on the European cycle).

“It is a big step from the first-generation hybrid to the plug-in hybrid. The car provides more than five times more energy for the customer,” Panamera chief Gernot Doellner told Automotive News Europe.

The Panamera S E-Hybrid is scheduled to launch in Europe in August and in the US in October. The starting price in Germany is 110,409 euros.

Source: Automotive News Europe