Porsche will retain petrol Cayenne alongside EV successor

Porsche has revealed that the next generation Cayenne luxury SUV will be all-electric when it is introduced in 2030, but the current Cayenne will continue to be offered alongside it in petrol and hybrid guises.

It follows the German carmaker’s announcement earlier this week that the transition to electric cars is taking longer than expected, and its product strategy will be to have 80% of its vehicles all electric in 2030 dependent on customer demand and the development of electromobility.

A year ago Porsche indicated that its iconic 911 would be the only remaining internal-combustion engine model beyond 2030 but has revised its plans to include the Cayenne, Porsche’s best-selling model range.

Porsche is one of several carmakers to state that the goals they set in recent years for fully electric cars in the next decade were too ambitious as customers remain reluctant to switch away from petrol cars. Porsche has sold fewer EVs than expected so far this year, particularly in Europe, which has seen a slowed consumer demand for battery-powered cars.

“In the middle of the decade, the fourth generation Cayenne will set standards in the segment as an electric SUV,” said Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG.

“At the same time, into the next decade our customers will still be able to choose from a wide range of powerful and efficient combustion and hybrid models.

“The third generation of the Cayenne will be further upgraded and will continue to be offered alongside the fourth, all-electric generation.”

Demanded exemption

Plans to make the next-generation Macan SUV and 718 Cayman and Boxster sports cars fully electric have not changed, but the current Cayenne, which was introduced in 2017 and upgraded last year, will be further developed with a focus on improving the efficiency of the V8 twin-turbo petrol engine and ensure it is ready to comply with future legislative requirements.

In 2023 the EU announced it will ban sales of new CO₂-emitting cars in 2035, effectively ending sales of new combustion engine vehicles running on petrol and diesel. However, the European Commission recently agreed to allow sales of new cars that only run on e-fuels — synthetic fuels that can be used in a combustion engine car instead of petrol — to continue after 2035, after Germany demanded this exemption.

E-fuel is made from captured carbon dioxide and renewably produced hydrogen, when it burns it re-emits CO₂, which makes it carbon neutral. Porsche is closely associated with e-fuels because of its investment in Chilean energy company HIF Global.

The fourth generation of the best-selling Cayenne will have familiar Porsche driving characteristics, says Porsche, and development targets include high-capacity and stable charging, high efficiency, and a high level of comfort and everyday usability.

After an extended phase of digital development and testing, as well as the first test drives on the proving grounds of the Development Centre in Weissach, the first camouflaged prototypes of the all-electric Cayenne have begun real-world testing.