Porsche hopes to sell 10,000 plug-in Panamera E-Hybrids

In Porsche math, twice the fuel economy and five times the battery capacity equals twice the sales. At least, that’s the German automaker’s thinking when it comes to the sales prospects of the Panamera S E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid that will go on sale later this year, Automotive News Europe reports. Porsche is counting on the PHEV to rack up 10,000 sales, which should be equal to about 10 percent of all Panamera sales during the model’s life cycle.

One reason to expect better sales is the model’s improved fuel economy. Compared to the Panamera Hybrid, the PHEV’s fuel economy is more than doubled to about 76 miles per gallon on the more generous European driving cycle (the EPA hasn’t yet rated the US version). The 416-horsepower car is said to be able to go as far as 22 miles on electricity alone, provided that most of those horses are left dormant. For the less tree-hugging variety, the Panamera PHEV has a top speed of 167 miles per hour and, per our review, is plenty fun to drive.

Ten percent plug-ins would be a solid number. Until now, Porsche has set the bar pretty low when it comes to electric-drive Panameras. Through June, Porsche’s moved just 78 Panamera Hybrids, down from 240 a year earlier.