PORSCHE

German automaker plans to launch an electrified premium-grade SUV bigger than the Cayenne

In a recent interview, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that the German automaker plans to launch an all-electric SUV that will be a class above the Cayenne and Macan. Work is expected to be accelerated due to delays in the Macan release due to software development issues.

Lately, Porsche, which has become known with legendary ICE cars like the Cayenne, Boxster and 911 Turbo, has gradually shifted its focus to electric vehicles. The transition began with the popular Taycan range and will likely continue with the electric Macan. The forecast is that by 2030, 80% of the company's vehicle fleet will be electric and, by 2025, half of sales will be electric vehicles (including plug-in hybrids). Earlier news broke that Volkswagen Group subsidiary Cariad was having software development issues that could affect the launch schedule of the Porsche Macan electric SUV and its sister Audi Q6 E-tron, both of which are scheduled for release next year. .

Porsche's IPO is extremely important for the Volkswagen Group, in particular, for the financing of projects related to electric vehicles. According to Automotive News Europe, Oliver Blume confirmed that the company intends to launch an electric SUV model, currently codenamed K1, in the middle of this decade. According to him, the production of a premium-level car will be carried out on a production line in Leipzig, which will strengthen the company's position in the luxury car segment.

It is expected to feature some of the technologies introduced in last year's Mission R concept model, including natural fiber reinforced plastic instead of classic carbon fiber, a new electrical system and improved battery performance. It is true that Porsche itself did not confirm the use of these additional components, but reported that three rows of seats could be used in the new SUV – a first for the company's cars.

Despite the all-electric Macan delay, Blum is looking forward to some heavy electrification during the current decade and has even shared plans to introduce another electric car in addition to the as-yet-unnamed SUV and Taycan model. We're talking about a mid-engined sports model of the 718 series.

It currently includes two-seat Boxster and Cayman, so electric versions of them could appear by the mid-decade. This could be great news for investors as Porsche prepares to go public as early as the fourth quarter of this year. This is expected to provide the Volkswagen Group with the means to transition to electric vehicles. The automaker has set an ambitious goal of overtaking Tesla, the industry leader, in electric vehicle sales by 2024.

AVnews