More luxury electric vehicles are incoming, with Porsche announcing plans for 80% of its global sales to be electric by 2030. The company, which is owned by German automaker giant Volkswagen, also intends to build its own charging network.
Porsche currently offers just one EV: the Taycan. However, CEO Oliver Blume told reporters at a roundtable at its annual meeting where it announced the new goals this week that the future of Porsche is electric. The move toward integrating more EVs into the Porsche lineup comes on the heels of many other companies doing the same. GM, Ford and a slew of other automakers have announced plans to transition from manufacturing vehicles with internal combustion engines to ones that run on electricity.
The charging network that will accompany Porsche's EV push, though, is a bit more rare. Porsches planned network would be exclusively for the (likely well-heeled) drivers of the companys cars, and will be built in high-traffic areas in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the company said, with installations beginning this year. Transportation accounts for nearly a quarter of the EU's carbon emissions and 41% of Switzerland's emissions. Porsche a relatively small player in the auto industry alone won't solve the problem, but every ton of carbon not emitted matters.
While there has been some movement toward public charging, Porsche said Friday that the investment in its own proprietary network is aimed at boosting its EV sales. This plan is reminiscent of Teslas SuperCharger network in the U.S., which was initially developed because no network existed when the company released its first models. Of course, these chargers were and remain a major draw for Tesla owners. As chargers become more ubiquitous, though, even Tesla is considering partially opening up its network.
But across the pond, Porsche is doubling down on managing its customers charging experience, saying the stations could serve as luxury lounges for relaxation while vehicles get juiced up, a very far cry from what a conventional Porsche owner might experience at todays gas stations. As if you needed another reason to want a Porsche.
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Porsches big EV plan: Fancy cars and an exclusive charging network - Protocol
