Porsche 919 Hybrid Battery Development

Battery Development for the Future

In 2014, Porsche returned to Le Mans, the most renowned endurance race in the world, with the innovative 919 Hybrid. Drawing on its many years of experience in the field of battery technology, Porsche Engineering developed the battery for the new LMP1 prototype from Porsche – from the mechanical structure to complete system control and testing.

In developing the 919 Hybrid, the engineers from Porsche Engineering faced the challenge of the new efficiency rules of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), which limited energy consumption per lap. The innovative solution: two recuperation systems. Exhaust energy recuperation enables the liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery to be charged not only when braking, but also when accelerating. Thus the 919 Hybrid unites performance and efficiency in groundbreaking style. Porsche Engineering also took on challenges such as a low system weight, restricted construction space, high voltages and the durability of batteries.