Gearing up for an EV-centred lineup in the future, Porsche has officially confirmed about the conclusion of its diesel engines. The shift in focus is, however, not only a step to future-proof its lineup but also due to the declining demand for diesel engines.
A statement that was released by the company, stated that diesel “has traditionally played a subordinate role” in the company's lineup and that it doesn't condemn it. However, the company clarified that its existing diesel customers would continue to be served.
The conclusion of diesel engines was reflective of its low share in the brand's worldwide light vehicle sales which stood at 12 per cent in 2017. Apart from that, the company is also expected to make an ambitious investment of more than six billion euros in electric mobility by 2022.
"We as a sports car manufacturer, however, for whom diesel has always played a secondary role, have come to the conclusion that we would like our future to be diesel-free," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in the statement.
The announcement consigns the diesel variants of Porsche's Cayenne and Macan SUVs along with the Panamera 4-door. The company also stated that 64 per cent of the Panamera that were sold in Europe were already hybrids. Thus in order to boost sales and eliminate stale assets, the company has decided to push the powertrains into the past.
The company's recently unveiled electric car, Taycan is expected to hit the showrooms by 2019, with which the brand predicts a 50 per cent rise in its new car sales due to pure electric or hybrid engines by 2025.
“Our aim is to occupy the technological vanguard - we are intensifying our focus on the core of our brand while consistently aligning our company with the mobility of the future," said Blume.