German luxury automaker Porsche has recently shed light on its electrification strategy, aiming to have 80% of its sales from electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030.
Among its plans, the company intends to keep its iconic 911 model as the only one powered by an internal combustion engine.
These revelations are notable, especially considering Porsche’s investments in e-fuels and its lobbying efforts to ensure such vehicles’ sales in the European Union post-2035.
The company’s electrification plan includes first transitioning its compact SUV Macan to electric, followed by the 718 sports car, and then the best-selling Cayenne, as revealed by Porsche e-fuels team leader Karl Dums.
Meanwhile, the 911 model, which made up 13% of the automaker’s sales in 2022, will continue to have a combustion engine.
Dums stated, “Our strategy in the first place is switching to electric mobility” and “we will produce the 911 as long as possible with a combustion engine.”
Dums went on to explain that Porsche’s e-fuels investment and its EV plans are separate initiatives.
E-fuels, synthesized from captured carbon dioxide and renewably produced hydrogen, re-emit CO2 when burned, which some argue makes them carbon-neutral.
Porsche’s investment in the Chilean energy company HIF Global has allowed it to explore this field further, Reuters notes.
However, according to Dums, HIF Global’s e-fuel is more focused on aviation and heavy vehicles since the majority of passenger cars will shift to electric.
Despite Porsche’s efforts toward electrification and e-fuels, industry experts predict that e-fuels will only find their place in high-end, niche models.
Major automakers have already dedicated $1.2 trillion toward electrification, shunning e-fuels which have gathered less than $1 billion, mostly for aviation fuel startups.
However, there’s a budding interest among smaller, luxury carmakers who see a market for e-fuel models among affluent customers who can afford the expensive fuel, currently priced at up to 10 pounds ($12.90) per liter.
