Porsche Pajun set to arrive in 2018 as an ELECTRIC Porsche

The Porsche Pajun – a smaller take on the Panamera and aimed at cars like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, will arrive in 2018 as an electric Porsche.

There seem to have been plans to build a Porsche Pajun (‘Panamera Junior’) ever since Porsche first dipped its toe in the saloon car market with the Panamera.

But so far the anticipated Porsche competition for the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E Class, Audi A6, Jaguar XF et al has failed to materialise, although this time last year the Pajun did look to be getting closer after a Porsche spokesman declared the Pajun would arrive in 2015.

But it seems Porsche has had a change of heart, perhaps because of the success of the Macan which is taking up all the production capacity Porsche has, and then some.

Now it seems – at least according to Auto Motor und Sport – that Porsche are delaying the arrival of the Pajun until 2018 or 2019, and when it does arrive it will be taking on another car entirely – the Tesla Model S.

It seems Porsche has decided that battery technology will have improved enough in the next three or four years for the Pajun EV to offer a similar range to the Tesla – 250 miles or so – and deliver enough power to be a proper Porsche.

You could argue that the technology is already there, with the Tesla Model S P85D offering straight-line acceleration that shames most Porsches, but by 2018/19 it should be even more capable than it is at present.

But although an electric Pajun makes sense, we can’t help but think Porsche would be mad not to deliver a range of hybrid and ICE options for the Pajun too.