EV Requests Drop, Porsche Remains Committed To Become An Electric Brand Completely

Porsche 718 Boxster. (Doc. Porsche AG)

JAKARTA - When the demand for electric cars (EVs) decreased, Porsche remained unmoved and loyal to its commitment to full electrification.

Porsche's Executive Board Production and Logistics Albrecht Reimold, said that models such as gasoline-powered Tigers for the non-European market will be laid off production by 2026.

"This Tiger model platform has reached the end of its cycle," Reimold was quoted as saying by Automobilwoche, Tuesday, July 9.

After production is stopped, this brand will focus on the electric version of the Tigers model in order to boost the sustainability ecosystem even though demand for electric vehicles has decreased.

"I will not let the success of the EV Tigers be determined by just one point," added Reimold.

One of the top Porsche members also announced that other combustion engine (ICE) models, 718 Cayman and Boxster, will no longer be produced starting next year and manufacturers will focus on developing their electric versions.

This news follows reports that the production of the Taycan model will be reduced at the Zuffenhausen factory, Germany. This step was taken because the sales trend of the model had decreased.

Taycan is the focus of the German brand in the sport-style electric car segment by booking sales of more than 40,000 units last year. But a report says that sales experienced a decline as many customers bought EVs early and this trend could not continue.

The sports car brand responded to this phenomenon by switching to one shift at the Zuffenhausen factory where Taycan was assembled. Porsche is expected to be negotiating with the local labor council, and the change is not expected to result in a loss of work. However, a spokesperson has not commented on this.

Sales of electric vehicles decreased during the first six months of 2024 in Germany, down 16.4 percent. In addition, the Chinese market is experiencing a shortage of Taycan due to the increasing number of cheap electric vehicles produced locally.

What's more, buyers from China prefer a luxury car from Germany with a pure combustion engine (ICE), not fully electric.

The latest generation 718 model will be built on the new Volkswagen Group's SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) architecture which will replace today's EV MEB, PPE, and J1 special platforms.

This SSP architecture is flexible enough to accommodate various types of cars, ranging from city cars with 100 horsepower to hypercars with more than 1,600 dk of power. The special variant to be used for twin cars 718 is referred to as SSP Sport.