Porsche and Other Automakers Back Away from EVs As Sales Plummet But Do Nothing to Dismantle the Green Energy Facade

I can’t wait to hear what the MacMaster thinks about this, but Porsche has, for all intents and purposes, admitted he was correct. The Taycan that is so often the subject of his mild rants, not to mention four recalls from Porsche, is fading fast, says Steven Paul at Autoblog:

Taycan sales have dropped off 50 percent year-over-year in the first nine months of 2024, with only around 14,000 units sold as of September.

Headed downhill fast!

That bite of reality has forced Porsche to change directions:

As a result, Porsche announced during a Q3 sales conference call that things aren’t really going as planned and that its R&D department has increased its flexibility when it comes to developing powertrains, including “new combustion-engine derivatives of electrified cars."

In an August interview with Autocar, Michael Steiner, Porsche's R&D boss, made it clear that the company is very serious about the future of internal combustion.

“The new Cayenne is fully electric…but we’ll have the ICE version [produced] in parallel. It’s the same for Panamera,” he added…

Porsche joins a plethora of automakers who have already walked back promises of a mostly electric sales portfolio…

Those automakers, according to Grok, include the following:

Several automakers have either scaled back or delayed their commitments to transition entirely to electric vehicles (EVs). Here's an overview based on recent information:

• General Motors (GM) has adjusted its EV production plans, notably delaying the opening of an EV truck factory and halting plans for a new Buick EV model. This reflects a broader strategy of growing responsibly and profitably amidst fluctuating consumer demand.

• Ford has also modified its EV strategy, particularly in Europe where it has postponed its goal of going all-electric by 2030 to 2035. Ford has shifted its focus to include more hybrids in its lineup, responding to market demands and profitability concerns.

• Volvo announced it would abandon its goal of selling only fully electric cars by 2030, now aiming for 90% to 100% of sales to be electric by that time. This shift acknowledges slower EV adoption rates than initially anticipated.

• Mercedes-Benz has been reported to scale back from its aggressive all-EV plans by 2030, now targeting 50% of its sales to be electric by the same year, indicating a more cautious approach.

• Aston Martin has postponed its plan to introduce its first mass-production EV until at least 2026, citing weak demand for high-end electric vehicles.

• Volkswagen has not rolled back its goals entirely but has indicated a longer timeline for phasing out combustion engines and a stronger emphasis on hybrids.

• Bentley, under the Volkswagen Group, has pushed back its all-electric timeline from 2030 to 2035.

These adjustments reflect a broader industry trend where automakers are reevaluating their EV strategies in light of market realities, including consumer demand, profitability, and the pace of infrastructure development. The shift often involves a greater focus on hybrid vehicles as a bridge technology.

The language, of course, is intended to suggest it’s all just a minor detour and the destination is still the great green transition to electric vehicles running on electricity made using coal, gas, or nuclear power. It’s a Potemkin world where everything is a facade intended to signal green virtues, while behind-the-scenes reality plays out slowly and inexorably.

#Porsche #EVs #ICEvehicles #Hybrids #Potemkin #GreenEnergy #EnergyTransition