Porsche's Unbridled Excitement for EVs Continues to Swell
Porsche, the iconic performance nameplate diving ever deeper into luxury and electrification, once again finds itself incapable of withholding its excitement toward both. Company board member Detlev von Platen claims Porsche is seriously considering increasing the production capacity of its upcoming Mission E model beyond 20,000 annual units and electrifying the Macan crossover.
According to von Platen, initial customer inquiries into the Mission E has been so strong that the brand wants to make sure it can meet demand. Buying habits also give the automaker hope that its customer base is prepared to make the eventual switch from internal combustion to electrically-assisted engines.
“In Europe, around 60 percent of Panamera vehicles were delivered with a hybrid drivetrain,” von Platen said.
That leaves the base model Panamara and performance Turbo variant with the remaining 40 percent. By contrast, hybrid powertrains (both conventional and plug-in) accounted for 2.7 percent of the total U.S. automotive market in 2016, down from a 3.2-percent high in 2013. Granted, premium automakers have an easier time pushing electrification than their mainstream counterparts, but it remains a niche category. It could be argued that the Panamara’s success isn’t heavily dependent upon its status as an electric vehicle. It may just be that it’s the mid-tier trim and likely to be the most desirable option for more affluent clientele.
That said, Porsche is steadfast in its belief that customers won’t abandon their electro-chic mindset anytime soon. The company plans to double its investment in hybrid and fully electric vehicles to more than 6 billion euros ($7.35 billion) by 2022. It’s also currently involved in a joint venture with Audi, BMW Group, Daimler AG, and Ford to improve Europe’s EV charging network. The group wants to construct and operate 400 powerful rapid charging stations along the major European traffic routes by 2020.
Meanwhile, the Mission E should enter into production sometime next year — possibly in overdrive.
[Source: Reuters] [Image: Porsche]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Suck it tesla
And if this isn't bad enough, when the Porsche hits the showrooms, it will have its $7500 tax credit and none of the Tesla vehicles will have any tax credit.