Just because Porsche is pumping billions of dollars into its electric programs doesn't mean the company has any intention of abandoning diesel engines, contradicting earlier statements. Porsche’s Chairman of the Executive Board, Oliver Blume, says the company has declared it is 100 percent committed to keeping the ICE alive because it will remain an integral part of the industry for the foreseeable future. Blume then emphasized that Porsche considers the demand for diesel engines to be very much alive.
“Porsche does not develop or manufacture its own diesel engines, and there are no plans to change that in the future,” said Blume. “All the same, there’s no reason to just suddenly abandon diesel.” Porsche’s commitment to diesel engines is for the same reason its rivals are equally addicted; diesel engines generally produce less CO2 emissions than gasoline ones, which is important to achieving mandated CO2 emission target. Only 14 percent of Porsche vehicles sold worldwide feature an oil burner, but it's enough, especially in places like Europe where diesel equipped Panameras, Cayennes, and Macans are popular.
“There are many markets, such as in Southern Europe, where people really don’t understand Germany’s current discussion about the future of diesel. There, 80 percent of customers buy a diesel car,” Blume elaborated. But even Porsche knows the day will come when internal combustion is no longer viable. Blume even goes so far as to put a number on it, according to the chairman, the last ICE-powered Porsche will probably be released in 2030. Claiming it would happen faster if not for technical, structural, and economic factors holding up the process.
