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Porsche to Offer Hybrids Across Model Range

Porsche to Offer Hybrids Across Model Range
Porsche to Offer Hybrids Across Model Range

Porsche aims to offer hybrid versions of all its models in the foreseeable future, CEO Oliver Blume told a German newspaper.

A plug-in hybrid version of the 911 model with a range in electric mode of 50 km (31 miles) will go on sale in 2018, Westfalen-Blatt quoted Blume as saying in a summary of an interview to be published earlier this week.

Porsche said last month it will invest €1 billion ($1.08 billion) at its biggest plant near Stuttgart to make its first all-electric sports car, a production version of the Mission E concept unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show last September.

The move reflects parent Volkswagen Group's growing commitment to increase its electric offerings as it struggles to overcome an emissions scandal. Porsche plans to bring the Mission E production model, with more than 600 horsepower and a range of over 500 km, to market by the end of the decade to take on the Tesla Model S.

Blume told the Westfalen-Blatt that he did not believe driverless cars were in Porsche's future, saying "an iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road," and that Porsche did not need to team up with any big technology companies.

"Partnerships are generally not a bad idea if one's own competencies are insufficient. But we are on the one hand part of a strong company and on the other hand have no plans to lead the charge in this area. We'll leave that to others," he said.

 

Financialtribune.com