'Not everybody will survive': Porsche determined to lead in the performance electric car space as premium electric car competitors like Aon Hyper GT, IM L6, Nio ET9 & Zeekr 7X proliferate

With Porsche soon to celebrate the fifth birthday of its ground-breaking Taycan performance EV sedan and wagon, the storied German carmaker is confident its future EV strategy is on track.

But not all the new electric car challenger brands, mainly emerging from China, will survive in the long term, according to the brand.

Speaking to journalists at the local launch of the updated Taycan sedan and Cross Turismo wagon, Porsche AG spokesperson Taycan and Panamera Mayk Wienkoetter said, “You can’t ignore the competition anymore because there are so many. Not everybody will survive, obviously.”

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“We always have an eye on the competition, but never both eyes. We still have our own agenda that we follow but of course you can’t neglect the competition or just ignore it completely.

“The positioning of Porsche cars is always unique and I don’t see any car close in all regards when it comes to the qualities of the product.

“We still have a unique position in the market but of course we’re going to fight for that position to be the most dynamic car in every segment.

Porsche Taycan

“We are watching what they are doing to see if that’s also something that inspires us to improve the product,” he said.

Commenting further on cooling demand in an increasingly competitive global EV market Mr Wienkoetter said, “If you look at what’s happening in China, the luxury EV segment is basically dead.”

“There’s nobody selling cars anymore because of the economics in that country and also the uprising of local manufacturers.

“Also in (Australia) luxury EVs are not selling well. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market.

Porsche Taycan

“The Taycan’s biggest competition is not another car, more the acceptance of e-mobility is the challenge right now,” he said.

But on the subject of Porsche’s broader EV strategy, including the Macan EV SUV and pure-electric 718 sports car, Mr Wienkoetter said, “We’re still 100 per cent committed and 100 per cent on track.”

“Macan sales are going quite well. We’re quite happy with those. And we also believe a car like the 718 will be a success going fully electric.

“The only change we made lately is the announcement that the Cayenne will also be available as an ICE car longer than anticipated.

Porsche Taycan

“Because when we made those decisions, five, six, seven years ago it looked like the market would be faster.

“But now that it’s a bit slower we of course have to adjust our strategy slightly but that’s not affecting Taycan, Macan or 718. These cars are still on track to become fully-electric,” he said.

Referring to the updated Taycan specifically, Mr Wienkoetter is bullish on the product and cautious on issues like resale value and repeat purchase.

“Existing Taycan customers are really impressed with the (new) car. I’m sure the improved range and charging capabilities and the driving dynamics are definitely helping.”

Porsche Taycan

“On the other hand the resale value of electric vehicles has been very challenging, especially in the luxury segment and Porsche is no exception.

“And it comes down ultimately to the lease rate - if you can make an offer people will jump to or not.

“We’re still fighting and we’re still confident we can also make the second-generation (Taycan) a success although the circumstances are way more challenging than they used to be.

“We are trying to take the right measurements to improve our offers and try to convince everybody to either get them back into a Taycan again or also get new customers.”