The 2010 Porsche 918 Spyder concept car had two electric motors.
Porsche presented the 918 Spyder at the 80th Geneva Motor Show in March 2010 as a high-performance plug-in hybrid. Its electric system used one motor to drive the front axle and another mounted at the rear, working alongside a mid-mounted petrol engine. This arrangement provided all-wheel drive without a conventional mechanical connection between the axles.
The production 918 retained the two-motor layout, although specifications differed in detail from the concept. The rear motor worked with the naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the front motor directly powered the front wheels. In electric-only driving, both motors could contribute to propulsion.
A common mix-up is confusing the 918 Spyder with the 918 RSR racing concept. The RSR also used two electric motors, but drew their energy from a flywheel-based KERS system rather than the Spyder’s plug-in battery. The related Panamera S E-Hybrid, Porsche’s earlier production plug-in hybrid, used a different drivetrain configuration.