Porsche’s new boss was a skeptic of battery motors for luxury vehicles long before he was picked to lead the revival of the petrol engine at the German sports car group.
“The technology isn’t ready,” Michael Leiters told the Financial Times late last year while still in his old job as chief executive of British supercar manufacturer McLaren. Electric vehicles lacked the emotional thrill of noisy engines and were quicker to lose their value, he said.
Leiters will take over at Porsche in January at a critical juncture for the Stuttgart-based company, as it tempers its electric ambitions and ploughs new investment into petrol engine models in an attempt to turn its fortunes around.
It’s interesting to see Porsche’s shift in focus back to gas engines. This decision certainly adds a new layer to the ongoing conversation about electric vehicles in the luxury market. It’ll be fascinating to see how this impacts their future models and overall brand direction.
layer of complexity to the evolving automotive landscape. It’s worth noting how this could affect their long-term sustainability goals and the perception of luxury in the electric vehicle market. Will they find a balance between tradition and innovation?