Porsche becomes first German carmaker to ditch diesel

Porsche has become the first German manufacturer to drop diesel-engined cars from its line-up in order to focus entirely on petrol and electrified vehicle production.

The Volkswagen-owned car giant is ditching diesel versions of the Cayenne and Macan SUVs, along with the four-door Panamera, in response to “growing consumer scepticism” over such vehicles and a growing interest in electric cars, says Auto Express.

“Porsche is not demonising diesel,” Porsche chief Oliver Blume said in a statement yesterday announcing the move. “It is, and will remain, an important propulsion technology.

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“We as a sports car manufacturer, however, for whom diesel has always played a secondary role, have come to the conclusion that we would like our future to be diesel-free. Naturally, we will continue to look after our existing diesel customers with the professionalism they expect.”

In a seperate interview with German newspaper Bild, Blume said that even though Porsche used diesel engines from VW-backed Audi, the company’s image had “suffered” as a consequence of the 2015 emissions scandal.

“The diesel crisis caused us a lot of trouble,” he admitted.

Porsche has seen its diesel sales fall in recent years, while its plug-in hybrid models are proving popular.

In 2017, just 12% of the German carmaker’s worldwide sales were diesel-engined models. Meanwhile, 63% of its Panamera models sold in Europe were equipped with electrified powertrains.

This prompted the company to temporality halt sales of Macan S and Panamera 4S diesel models earlier this year, Autocar reports.

The firm’s focus now seems to be on its upcoming Taycan - a four-door electric saloon with around 600bhp and a battery range in excess of 250 miles.

The next-generation Porsche 911 sports car, due to debut at the Paris Motor Show next week, is also expected to come in hybrid form.