Although various carmakers are feeling pressure to electrify globally, Porsche says its iconic petrol engines will live on as long as customers want them.
Porsche has reaffirmed its commitment to petrol power – with hybrid assistance, if required to meet emissions rules – amid the global rollout of electric cars.
In an exclusive interview with Drive, Porsche Australia’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Daniel Schmollinger, said the brand will continue to offer internal combustion engines if the demand is there.
“We want to have this freedom of choice for the customer, depending on where they stand in terms of being ready for electric or still loving petrol [models].
“We don’t judge, whatever you feel like is fine for us, and we are in a position from a production point of view to react to what the market wants,” Schmollinger told Drive.
Despite Porsche scaling back its global EV targets in 2024 amid a global consumer cooldown, the key Porsche executive said its clientele is open to whatever powertrain direction it intends to follow.
“We hear a lot of people saying, ‘well if Porsche goes into electric, if Porsche goes into hybrid, then it must be worth it, ’” the Porsche CEO said.
“[Because of] our motorsport DNA and our approach to have high-performance cars, we see that our customers are following us. If they see that we go into a [specific type] of technology, a lot of people will follow,” he told Drive.
While it has built a historic legacy for its ICE powertrains, the Porsche executive said electrification – whether in fully electric or hybrid form – is crucial not only to the brand’s performance DNA but also to its future product strategy.
“Having hybrid or electric technology is not only about saving fuel, it’s about supporting the entire concept of the car,” Schmollinger explained.
“This technology it’s perfect for us because we are a performance brand, we want to be fast on the racetrack. But we also want to be very comfortable in your daily life, and hybrid as well as electric technology helps us a lot.”
For reference, Porsche offers hybrid engines on the iconic 911, the Cayenne SUV and the Panamera. Additionally, the German luxury marque features electric powertrains on the Macan SUV and Taycan.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
