Porsche backflips to give electric cars petrol engines – r…

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The German car maker has reportedly watered down its electric car plans again by announcing it will add internal combustion engines to cars previously planned to be electric-only. Porsche is reportedly looking at fitting internal combustion engines to models previously designed to be battery electric-only as it makes further changes to its electric vehicle strategy. After winding back its target for electric cars earlier in 2024, website Carscoops [1] reports Porsche [2] will shift powertrain strategy based on customer trends, prompted by declining sales of its battery electric vehicles.

“We will develop new combustion-engined derivatives [of our electric vehicles] in order to give the right answer to customer demand,” Carscoops reports Porsche Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke as saying during a media conference call. “A lot of customers in the premium and luxury segment are looking in the direction of combustion-engined cars, there’s a clear trend,” Mr Meschke added. Earlier in 2024, Porsche revised its previous target [3] for 80 per cent of its line-up to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 – leaving 20 per cent for its iconic 911 sports car – after sales of battery-electric models stalled.

The car maker made no statements on which of its electric models – and when – will have internal-combustion engines added to their line-ups. It could see Porsche’s first seven-seat SUV [4] – codenamed K1 internally – revert from battery-electric power to use an internal combustion engine with electric hybrid components [5] when it hits showrooms in 2027. Porsche sales globally were down 7 per cent year-on-year to the end of September 2024, with its sharpest fall in China – the world’s largest electric car market – where it posted a 29 per cent drop over the previous year.

An update of its first electric vehicle – the Porsche Taycan [6] – failed to recapture the early sales success which saw it become the brand’s best-selling vehicle in 2021. The car maker also launched a battery-electric Macan SUV [7] – due in Australia by the end of 2024 – and plans to introduce electric versions of its 718 Boxster/Cayman sports car twins in 2025. The last petrol-powered versions [8] of the Boxtser and Cayman were built in July 2024 – although they may no longer be the last.

Yet like other car makers including Porsche’s sister brand Audi, Mercedes-Benz [9] and Volvo [10] who have revised previous electric vehicle targets, Porsche says it will capitalise on the more immediate popularity of hybrid-electric vehicles. It will introduce the first hybrid version of its 911 sports car [11] to Australia in 2025. “We will refresh our combustion engine cars, including the Panamera [12] and the Cayenne [13], and of course, we will continue to rely on plug-in hybrids,” Meschke said.

It echoes the path of the world’s largest car maker, Toyota [14], which has said it will follow a multi-powertrain strategy [15] – with a mix of internal combustion, hybrid, fuel-cell and battery-electric vehicles – to suit different customer needs in various countries.

Porsche has been opposed to the European Union’s 2035 ban of internal-combustion [16] engine new vehicles and has worked on synthetic fuels in order for its classic models – which are part of a lucrative spare parts business – to continue to be driven.

The post Porsche backflips to give electric cars petrol engines – report [17] appeared first on Drive [18].

References

^ Carscoops (www.carscoops.com)
^ Porsche (www.motors-addict.com)
^ revised its previous target (www.motors-addict.com)
^ first seven-seat SUV (www.motors-addict.com)
^ electric hybrid components (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Porsche Taycan (www.motors-addict.com)
^ battery-electric Macan SUV (www.motors-addict.com)
^ last petrol-powered versions (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Mercedes-Benz (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Volvo (www.motors-addict.com)
^ hybrid version of its 911 sports car (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Panamera (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Cayenne (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Toyota (www.motors-addict.com)
^ multi-powertrain strategy (www.motors-addict.com)
^ 2035 ban of internal-combustion (www.motors-addict.com)
^ Porsche backflips to give electric cars petrol engines – report (www.drive.com.au)
^ Drive (www.drive.com.au)