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  On the 911 front, there is clearly an opportunity for a hybrid.

A battery-powered Porsche is about to join the growing band of electric sports cars.

Audi and Mercedes-Benz have both just confirmed they are building high- performance voltsters, one based on the R8 and the other on the latest SLS Gullwing, and Porsche says it is also working towards a plug-in speed machine.

The baby Boxster is the most likely target for the battery-powered speedster, which comes as Porsche confirms an extension of its hybrid range to the 911. It is already committed to petrol-electric hybrid versions of the Cayenne and its latest Panamera. "I am also convinced that one day Porsche will have an electric sports car in its line-up," says Michael Macht, the new boss of Porsche. "Since this trend towards electric power is unstoppable, our engineers are already working hard on this challenge."

Macht made his first public appearance since taking the top job at the Frankfurt motor show and is highlighting the changes which can be expected under his leadership.

Most importantly, there is expected to be a greater focus on Porsche's historic engineering strengths and less emphasis on short-term profits. Macht says Porsche needs more green technology but emphasises that its electric car plan depends on better batteries. "Everything we have seen in this area has not yet been sufficient to meet our substantial demands, particularly when it comes to battery technology and charge cycles," he says. "An electric sports car would therefore only make sense for Porsche if it offers the performance and cruising range similar to that of current sports cars in the market."

There was no sign of the electric project at Frankfurt but Porsche did show a prototype of its Cayenne hybrid and is talking opening of sharing the work on the Panamera.

On the 911 front, there is clearly an opportunity for a hybrid. "Why not?" says Macht.

But a 911 hybrid will be more like a Formula One car than a Toyota Prius, as sources at the show say Porsche is looking at a Kinetic Energy Recovery System for the car. This, like the current Ferrari and McLaren grand prix racers, would store braking energy and use it to give an electric boost for acceleration.

A KERS-boosted 911 would allow the car to have the same performance as today's car, or better, with a smaller petrol engine. But there is no news yet on what some of KERS system is being targeted, as there are a number of designs using both flywheel and battery systems for energy storage.