Porsche to rename Boxster/Cayman to 718

[Perfectlap]

^ There is also competitive pressure to look like the most technologically advanced company. When Lamborghini unveiled some outlandishly expensive offering, I believe it was the Veneno, it was widely panned for being stuck in the past meanwhile Porsche was comprehensively obliterating the N-ring lap record using a hybrid 918, McLaren was offering the P1, etc. Electric supercars are as much a high tech throw down to the competition as they are a realization that if they wait too long to jump on alternative energy they might have too much ground to make up in the mass market cars.
Whether its super car or sub $100K SUV or sedan, people are demanding or better yet expecting that you are going to wow them on fuel economy. Otherwise your car company looks dinosaur like. The educated wealthy have a bigger appreciation for high tech than other segments of the market. The car companies can't ignore that, there's good margin in those cars.