Porsche’s plans to have its lineup 80 percent electric by the year 2030 are being reconsidered, according to a report by Autocar.
“We are exploring the possibility of equipping some of the originally planned electric models with hybrid drives or internal combustion engines in the future,” said Deputy Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke. “Conceptual decisions are being made, but what is clear is that we are committed to the combustion engine for much longer.”
A drop in sales of the Taycan—Porsche’s first EV—and a slower than anticipated start for the newly-launched Macan electric has meant Porsche is set to revise its EV ambitions to “depend on customer demand.”
That customer demand–or rather a lack of it— has already seen production of the Taycan scaled back and could mean that models which were originally planned as EV-only may have to be re-engineered to offer hybrid or gas-only options.
Quoting an unnamed Porsche insider Autocar says that the German sporting legend is now considering an internal combustion version of the Macan to sell alongside the EV. That would give buyers of Porsche’s most popular model a choice once again. Since its launch ten years ago over half a million Macans have been sold worldwide, but without an ICE model similar success is likely to prove a challenge in the current market. Even in EV-angelist China, the biggest market for electrics, carmakers are having to introduce hybrid and range-extender vehicles to satisfy a diverse range of customers.
2025 will see the delayed Boxster and Cayman EVs hit the road, but if the relatively light, agile and high-performance sports car is not enough to convince Porsche customers that electric is the answer, it could be back to the drawing board for Porsche’s two-seaters as well.
