Porsche backs out of the diesel business

Car manufacturer draws consequences from diesel scandal

Porsche is the first German car manufacturer who announces that they no longer want to build diesel engines in the future. In a press release, the Volkswagen subsidiary announced that they wanted to tailor their product range to customers’ wishes – diesel cars will no longer be part of it in future. Instead, intensive work will be done on alternative drives such as hybrid technology and e-mobility.

Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG, explained the decision: “Porsche does not demonize diesel. It is and will remain an important drive technology. For us as a sports car manufacturer, where diesel has traditionally played a subordinate role, we have come to the conclusion that we want to work without diesel in the future. Of course, we will continue to provide professional support to existing diesel customers.”

Porsche wants to optimize combustion engine

The goal is to invest over six billion euros in e-mobility over the next four years. While the demand for diesel models is declining, interest in hybrid models is increasing, according to the company. In Europe, for example, around 63 percent of the Panamera model is ordered as a hybrid model. For comparison: in 2017, the share of Porsche cars with diesel engines was 12 percent worldwide.

The first purely electric sports car will follow next year. The Taycan model will be produced CO2-neutral and be charged with green electricity via a Europe-wide ultra-fast charging infrastructure. By 2025, every second new Porsche vehicle could be equipped with an electric drive. The sports car manufacturer is thereby relying on hybrid or purely electric drives. Nevertheless, the classic combustion engine shall also be optimized.

Recently, the car manufacturer BMW also announced that they would forego diesel cars in the USA.