Porsche 911 to be combustion-powered ‘as long as possible’

Porsche has put in place plans to ensure that even by 2030 the iconic Porsche 911 will remain the only model in the German sports car-maker’s range to be combustion-powered.

According to a report by news agency Reuters, more than 80 per cent of Porsche’s entire line-up will come with an all-electric powertrain by 2030, with one big exception – the Porsche 911.

To ensure the 911 remains combustion-powered, Porsche will rely on its investment in e-fuels and lobby EU states to allow synthetic-fuel-powered combustion vehicles to be sold beyond the already extended 2035 ban.

It’s the first time that Porsche has publicly announced that it will only have one combustion engine on sale post 2030.

Porsche has already announced that the next-generation Macan SUV will switch to EV power, followed by the 718 Boxster and Cayman and then the best-selling Cayenne.

But the 911 will always remain the exception, according to Porsche e-fuel boss Karl Dums.

“Our strategy in the first place is switching to electric mobility and ... we will produce the 911 as long as possible with a combustion engine,” Dums said.

In 2022, the 911 accounted for 13 per cent of Porsche’s global sales.

The current 992-generation is set to be facelifted later this year, with some rumours suggesting Porsche will introduce an electrified hybrid version for the first time.

Despite the declaration that e-fuels will prolong the life of the 911, Reuters reports that some experts suggest a lack investment in e-fuels might stall their adoption, while others believe they’re better suited for high-end supercars and hypercars due to their projected high price.

Porsche says it’s already ploughed more than $US100 million ($A148m) into energy company HIF Global, with the aim of helping expand its e-fuel production capability beyond Chile into the US and Australia.

The Reuters report suggests Porsche and other car-makers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini (which have also invested in e-fuels) will be joined by smaller brands like Morgan and BAC who are also relying on the synthetic carbon-neutral fuels for their survival.

According to analysts Pitchbook, the car industry has already invested an incredible $US1.2 trillion ($A1.8t) in e-fuels but raised less than $US1 billion ($A1.5b) from investors outside the sector.

Currently the cost of a single litre of e-fuel can cost up to $US12.90 ($A19.12) per litre.

E-fuels are made from captured carbon dioxide and renewably produced hydrogen. When it burns, the CO2 is released back into the atmosphere, which is said by its producers to be a carbon neutral process.

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