The 356 was the Porsche company’s first production car, created by Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, (son of Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the VW Beetle). Ferry Porsche said “I saw that if you had enough power in a small car, it is nicer to drive than if you have a big car which is also overpowered”. The 356 started production in 1948 and finished in 1965, overlapping its successor the 911.
This is one of the later “C” models introduced in 1964.
“This is the first one of my husband’s cars that I have ever wanted to drive. He should convert all of them!”
Electric Conversion Options
Low Voltage with manual gearbox
Hyper9 motor bolted directly onto the original gearbox and driving the rear wheels using a clutch and all the gears – fabulous fun and carefully tuned to ensure that “classic” driving feel. This comes in two versions: 26kWh at 110V, or 36kWh at 144V. In a Porsche 356 you can expect about 4 miles/kWh, though we have managed 4.5 on beautiful country roads.
High voltage with fixed reduction drive
TorqX-300i 350V electric motor with 9:1 fixed final drive and CCS rapid charging. 21 or 42kWh battery options. Pure speed with no gear-changes required. The 42kWh pack does mean you have no luggage space – but is luggage space really necessary for this car? CCS charging will recharge the car in under one hour.
What this customer wanted
The customer simply wanted a nice little electric run-around, that felt like a 356 to drive – happily running up and down through the gears, but with the relaxed approach to driving that the 356 induces. And he wanted it to look original in every respect.
The car is driven by a Netgain Hyper9HV air-cooled electric motor running at 144V. The transmission uses the original gearbox remastered with a new lightweight clutch. The total battery storage is 36kWh, which gives it a cruising range of about 140 miles between charges. It has a 15kW multi-phase AC charge system which will recharge the car in 2.4 hours on a 22kW charger or above.
| Petrol Engine | Electric Motor | |
| Power: | 70kW @ 5,800rpm | 80kW @ 4,000rpm |
| Torque: | 124Nm @ 4,200rpm | 235Nm @ 0rpm |
| 0-60: | 10.3 seconds | 7 seconds |
| Top Speed: | 115mph | 120mph |
| Fuel: | Petrol | Electricity |
| Cost Per Mile: | 22p | 3.3p |
| CO2 Per Mile: | 0.4kg | 0kg |
