Porsche Backtracks: 911 Survives EV Apocalypse, But Will It Be Last Gasp For ICE?

Why Porsche Is Scaling Back Its E.V. Targets

Here’s the thing: E.V. sales have been falling for a while now and a variety of factors may be responsible for it. Maybe it’s a widespread perception of range anxiety – that fear of being stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery. Within the Porsche universe, the pre-facelift all-electric Taycan’s range for example was just 208 miles. The range has thankfully improved on the 2025 Taycan, offering up to 346 miles. Regardless, McKinsey says 42% of potential E.V. buyers worry about that, and honestly, can you blame them? Plus, finding a reliable charging station (unless it’s a Tesla Supercharger) can be a bit of a challenge.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Porsche isn’t throwing in the electric towel entirely. It will continue to adapt its strategy based on customer demand. They’ve already unveiled the Macan E.V. based on the PPE Platform, and rumors of an electric Panamera are swirling. The Cayenne is also going to soon go electric (due in 2026), with prototypes already spotted doing the rounds. This SUV-sized electric powerhouse could be another sign that Porsche is hedging its bets, offering a variety of powertrain options while keeping a watchful eye on the market and exploring alternative solutions.

Based on the most recent global sales data, the above table should give you an idea of where and how each of the models in Porsche’s current portfolio fare. Sales of the all-electric Taycan only amount to 5.67%, globally. So at this point, that ambitious 80% E.V. target? It seems farfetched and with falling demand for E.Vs, that seems very unlikely.

But it’s not just Porsche. Across the industry, the E.V. revolution is hitting some serious bumps, with Ford, GM, and Mercedes scaling back on their E.V. ambitions. Even Tesla, the E.V. king, is feeling the heat. It laid off 10% of its global workforce, earlier this year. The American tech giant downgraded their deliveries by 5.0% this year. Maybe the sky-high price tags or the whole "self-driving car that keeps crashing" thing is catching up with them. Who knows? But hey, there are some rebels in the game. Jaguar is going all-in on electric, kicking their gas guzzlers to the curb by 2025. Now that’s some serious commitment! It just goes to show, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this E.V. thing.

Where does this leave the 911

Now for its sports car lineup, Porsche is prepping an all-electric replacement for the 718 Cayman and Boxster. The 911 is an emotional model, not just for enthusiasts, but Porsche themselves and the company has previously reiterated that it will do whatever it can to extend the life of the gas-powered 911. This also begs the question, did this slow-down have anything to do with Porsche choosing the hybrid route for the 911, with the T-Hybrid, unlike the entry-level sports car taking the E.V. route directly? I can’t say for sure, but it appears that the 911 will remain one of the last purely gas-powered models in the Porsche lineup. With these latest developments, the prospects of an all-electric 911 in this decade seem bleak, which should keep the Porsche faithful happy.

Porsche’s backward step is a bit of a bummer for the E.V. enthusiast in me. However, electrifying the lineup is inevitable with the outright ban on gas vehicles in the E.U. by 2035. But hey, in the meantime at least they’re exploring other options. These synthetic fuels could potentially extend the life of existing gasoline engines in a cleaner way, though the jury’s still out on their long-term viability. Plus, there’s always the intriguing world of Hydrogen, perhaps with a combustion engine. Besides E fuels, Porsche has explored the Hydrogen domain recently. Maybe that’s the future Porsche is secretly betting on.