One model, in particular, will be the ultimate endurance and will continue to run on gasoline for the foreseeable future, said Porsche’s head of global sales, Detlev von Platen. The 911.
Even more than most high-performance cars, Porsche The 911 is defined both by its gasoline engine and its unique tear-shaped profile. Its six-cylinder engine is mounted on the rear wheels, placing a significant mass of weight right behind the driver and giving the car a distinct feeling when driving on a winding road. The car is an icon of the Porsche brand, representing it more than any other. The company has built more than a million examples over several generations since 1963.
Porsche is also working with several energy companies on a carbon-neutral artificial fuel that can be burned in internal combustion engines without contributing to global warming.
A fuel plant in Chile is using wind energy to produce hydrogen gas, which is combined with carbon dioxide to form a liquid synthetic fuel. Since the manufacture of fuel removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it is considered carbon neutral.
Porsche said it will be the first customer for this new fuel. For now, fuel costs about $ 10 a liter and is too expensive to be used by the general public. The company expects to reduce the cost to about $ 2 per liter. The American national average for premium gas is about $ 3.47 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, which costs about 92 cents a liter.
Porsche calls it eFuel, and if it can be done in large quantities at low prices, it could provide a way for its gasoline-powered cars and even old Porsches to be driven without contributing to the global alert, said von Platen. More than 70% of all Porsches ever made are still on the road, he added.
Getting Electric
Porsche is still adding more electric cars to its lineup, said von Platen. The Porsche Taycan electric sports sedan has already proven to be a success for the brand, he said. More than 20,000 were sold globally last year, which is almost the same as Porsche sold of its 718 sports car models, the Boxster and Cayman, together.
Porsche also recently unveiled the Taycan Cross Turismo, a wagon-like version of the Taycan. It has a more square rear for more cargo space and moves slightly above the ground.
Porsche also announced that the next version of the small Macan SUV will be electric.
When Porsche executives say 80% of the brand’s vehicles will be electrified by 2030, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be fully electric, von Platen said. Most of the 80% will be fully electric, he said, but some can also be plug-in hybrids.
Porsche currently sells some plug-in hybrid models, that have electric motors and gasoline engines. After their batteries are charged, they can drive for a while on electric power only before the gasoline engine is started to provide assistance. From that point on, they drive like ordinary hybrid cars, alternating between the gasoline engine and electric motors or using both at the same time.
The Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, for example, can travel 22 kilometers on electricity alone before its 6-cylinder turbocharged engine has to be used.
Ultimately, Porsche will have to make a complete switch to electric cars, von Platen conceded. “This is the future, period,” he said.