Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said the 911 will be the “last Porsche which is going for full electrification,” if it ever fully becomes an EV. That’s despite the company announcing a new plan for at least 80% of its vehicles sold to be electrified by 2030.
“The 911 is our icon. We will continue to build the 911 with a combustion engine,” he told reporters during a media call ahead of its annual meeting Friday morning. “The concept of the 911 doesn’t allow a fully electric car because we have the engine in the rear. To put the weight of the battery in the rear, you wouldn’t be able to drive the car.”
Porsche reports 17% of its vehicles sold globally last year were electrified, including a third of its sales in Europe.
‘Very sporty’ 911 hybrid
“Electrified” can mean an all-electric vehicle such as the Porsche Taycan or hybrid and plug-in hybrids that combine electrification with internal combustion engines, which Porsche also currently offers. A “major part” of Porsche’s vehicle sales are expected to be all-electric by 2030, according to Blume.
The “majority” of the 20% of its sales that won’t be electrified by 2030 will be the 911, he said. That doesn’t mean there aren’t changes in store for the car. He said the company is working on a “very sporty hybridization” of the car, citing lessons learned from a Porsche hybrid race car.
The company also is investing $24 million in “e-fuels,” which should assist in another new goal for Porsche to be carbon neutral by 2030. Porsche officials have said e-fuels are carbon neutral. They said they can act like gasoline, allowing owners of current and classic vehicles a more environmentally friendly way to drive.
