New Porsche Macan EV could switch back to petrol

Porsche has been forced to radically rethink the future direction of the 2025 Porsche Macan following a significant drop off in sales of the second-generation, now EV-only mid-size SUV.

Launched in July 2024, the new Macan is only Porsche’s second all-electric model after the Taycan, but according to Autocar, the German sportscar-maker’s bosses are so disturbed by the instant seven per cent global decline in sales, they’re now revisiting the decision to drop petrol power.

Cementing its decision to reconsider a combustion-powered Macan is the fact that at the same time Macan sales slowed, Taycan deliveries dropped off a cliff, with volumes down 50 per cent, making it Porsche’s worst-performing model of 2024.

In response, Porsche has already wound back Taycan production to prevent stockpiling.

The German brand is even considering pulling Taycan production from its Stuttgart plant, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Originally, Porsche thought EVs would account for 80 per cent of all its global sales by 2030, but internally there are now plenty of doubts hanging over this target, and internal combustion engines will now remain part of Porsche’s line-up for much longer than originally planned.

Speaking of the global slowing of EV sales, deputy chairman and chief financial officer Lutz Meschke said:

“We are exploring the possibility of equipping some of the originally planned electric models with hybrid drives or internal combustion engines in the future.?

“Conceptual decisions are being made, but what is clear is that we are committed to the combustion engine for much longer.”

One of the cars now under the microscope is the Porsche Macan, but simply transplanting a petrol or diesel powertrain into the new EV isn’t possible as it is based on the PPE platform that was created specifically for electric cars.

Reviving the recently culled first-gen Macan, meanwhile, isn’t viable because it couldn’t be sold in Europe due to its non-compliance with cybersecurity ruling.

The 10-year-old model would also struggle to meet future safety and emission regulations.

Accounting for more than 500,000 sales over the decade it was on available for, the Macan helped establish Porsche in China but since the introduction of the EV version, volumes sold even there dropped by 30 per cent in 2024.

The only real option left for Porsche is to quickly spin off a new Macan based on the heavily updated Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture that underpins the third-generation Audi Q5 that launched last year.

Another option is reengineering the current Macan EV to be adapted to feature either a plug-in hybrid or range-extender powertrain. It’s thought the latter will be more realistic, with a small combustion engine added to top up the high-voltage battery when it runs low on a long drive.

In China, many car brands are already racing to introduce range extenders to satisfy huge demand for hybrids as the local infrastructure struggles under the huge numbers of EVs.

Porsche’s electrification woes don’t stop there either – the inbound battery-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman duo that were both due to arrive this year have been hit with significant delays following battery supplier Northvolt filing for bankruptcy.

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