Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: First and still foremost

WHO launched the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) here?

It probably comes as a mild surprise that it was Porsche - which launched a plug-in hybrid version of its Panamera fastback saloon, the S E-Hybrid, all of five years ago.

A PHEV combines a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain with a relatively large battery pack that can be charged externally.

The idea is that it combines the best of hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) - it can still run on petrol if needed but if you have access to a charging point, you can cover distances solely on battery power and without so much as a furz from the tailpipe, like an EV.

The first PHEV Panamera faced early adopter pains in the form of a protracted homologation process, since it was a trailblazer - but it also proved that the PHEV concept was ideally suited to Singapore: Commute to work on e…