Porsche presses on to EV transformation despite bottlenecks

Porsche's journey into electrification is off to a rough start.

Sales of its sole electric vehicle — the Taycan — have slipped as supply shortages stall production. Porsche CFO Lutz Meschke said on an earnings call in July that the sports car maker faced "major challenges" in securing parts such as high-voltage heaters. As a result, the Taycan's U.S. sales in the first half of 2023 tumbled 30 percent from a year ago despite strong demand for the electric fastback.

The supply chain bottlenecks put at risk Porsche's target for EVs to account for around 12 to 14 percent of its total sales.

"There is no week where we have no supply chain issue," CEO Oliver Blume said on the earnings call. "We have to be very flexible."

Meanwhile, the launch of the automaker's second EV — the battery-powered Macan — was delayed as engineers grapple with software bugs. Getting that one right is key for the brand. Porsche's bestseller, the Macan, accounted for a third of U.S. sales last year.

But Porsche's EV push accelerates mid-decade when the automaker delivers electric variants of its 718 Cayman and Boxster sports cars, followed by the Cayenne crossover.

A new nameplate will be added in the second half of the decade — the first since the Macan launched in 2014. Code-named K1, it will slot above the Cayenne. Blume has described the plus-size three-row EV as "a very sporty interpretation of an SUV."

The new model is "focused on the markets where our customers love to drive big cars," he added. "It's very focused on the North American market and China."

Electric large crossover: The full-size crossover could arrive in the U.S. as early as 2026. The K1 will use Volkswagen Group's SSP Sport platform, which Porsche is developing, and incorporate technology from the Mission R concept. In addition to a new high-performance battery, the Mission R has a 920-volt electrical system to reduce charging times. The crossover will include the direct oil-cooled electric motor found in the Mission R.

A Porsche retailer who has seen a rendering of the EV described it as a "new style of vehicle that is part sedan, part crossover" with a "rakish" profile.

Taycan: The sports car maker's first EV receives a freshen in the first half of 2024 that will tweak the headlights and front and rear fascia. The update will bring faster charging speeds and a performance boost.

Porsche could bring out a performance variant alongside the refresh. A redesign will arrive in the U.S. late in the decade.

Cayenne: The workhorse midsize crossover received a midcycle freshen this summer that feels more like a redesign.

The 2024 Cayenne S swaps its V-6 engine for a V-8 that makes an additional 34 hp and delivers a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. Porsche mechanically adapted the eight-cylinder to make it "at least as fuel-efficient" as the V-6, said Mike DePetro, product manager for Porsche Cars North America.

Significant interior, exterior and under-the-hood updates are meant to rekindle interest in Porsche's No. 2 seller. The changes put the Cayenne interior on a par with the 911 and the electric Taycan.

A muscular front features styled fenders, a raised hood and redesigned headlights. The taillights are updated as well, while a new rear fascia integrates the license plate holder.

Porsche dials up its crossover lineup next year with the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid that pairs a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine with a 174-hp electric motor to deliver a combined 729 hp.

The third-generation Cayenne is likely the final combustion engine version. Production is expected to end in early 2029, according to AutoForecast Solutions. Porsche will bring an all-electric Cayenne to the U.S. in 2027.

Macan: U.S. deliveries of a battery-powered version of the Macan will begin in the first half of 2024. Production starts at a plant in Leipzig, Germany, this fall.

The automaker said the 600-hp-plus electric Macan will be the "sportiest model in its segment." The dual-motor EV is the first Porsche model on Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric architecture. Based on European tests, its 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack should deliver more than 300 miles of range.

Like the Taycan fastback, the Macan crossover will use 800-volt technology, which can recharge the EV's battery from 5 to 80 percent in about 25 minutes.

Porsche had intended to sunset the combustion engine Macan in the U.S. in 2025 or 2026. But now the company has taken a wait-and-see approach to going EV-only with the model, Porsche told its U.S. retailers.

Panamera: The four-door sedan will soldier on into the second half of the decade, but a replacement is not planned. The Panamera will receive a heavy freshen in the first half of next year that feels like a redesign, including updates to its powertrain, chassis and exterior.

The 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine is revised to help reduce emissions. Porsche will replace the gasoline-only Turbo S with a new electrified variant called the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid.

The Panamera could be replaced by a battery-electric model late this decade, timed with the arrival of the next-generation Taycan.

According to an Autocar report, the new EV will feature a sporty version of Volkswagen Group's Scalable Systems Platform, which has a low cabin floor and rear footwells. Porsche will offer the Panamera EV with a single- or dual-motor drivetrain. It will receive a next-generation 800-volt battery with a more energy-efficient cell technology.

The zero-emission Panamera will be sold alongside the current-generation model.

911: Porsche is marking its 60th anniversary with a limited-edition 911. The sports car brand will build just 1,963 copies of the 911 S/T — the lightest of the 992 generation.

Meanwhile, the redesigned seventh-generation 911 received a sporty variant this spring. The track-focused 2023 911 GT3 RS debuted a motorsports-inspired central radiator and a large carbon wing that delivers greater downforce. Under the hood sits a high-revving 4.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers 518 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time of three seconds.

Porsche also released a rally-inspired Dakar version with a jacked-up suspension, all-terrain tires and antilock braking system optimized for loose gravel. In early 2025, the 911 should receive a freshen and a new plug-in hybrid model inspired by the 918 Spyder and the 911 GT3 R hybrid race car technology.

718 Cayman: Porsche dialed up the performance for an all-new 718 Cayman last summer. At the heart of the GT4 RS beats the naturally aspirated engine of the 911 GT3 producing 493 hp, 79 hp more than the 718 Cayman GT4.

Porsche could consolidate its combustion engine lineup to the GT cars.

A redesign of the hardtop coupe is expected by late 2025. A battery-powered version should also come at that time.

718 Boxster: Porsche will deliver the most potent version of its mid-engine roadster next spring. The 718 Spyder RS carries the same lightweight powertrain and six-cylinder engine found under the hood of the 911 GT3 Cup race car. Compared with the 2023 414-hp 718 Spyder without the RS designation, the new RS version boasts an additional 79 hp, accelerating to 60 mph 0.5 second quicker.

Porsche is expected to turn the drop-top into an exclusively electric model by mid-decade.

The front-end design of the EV is similar to that of the Taycan.

According to dealers who saw the convertible, it borrows the full-width taillight design of the Taycan.