The all-electric Porache Taycan.
Source: Porsche AG
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Porsche buyers are flocking en masse to the brand’s Taycan sedan, with sales of the all-electric model almost matching that of the iconic 911 sports car.
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Porsche delivered 9,072 Taycans during the first quarter, leaving the 911 with 61 units left Volkswagen AG said in a statement on Friday. The manufacturer has introduced its first pure battery-powered model with which customers compete Tesla Inc. see Model S in 2019.
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Porsche’s all-electric Taycan catches up with iconic 911
Source: Porsche statements
“Established models supported this excellent result, as well as the latest additions to our product range, especially the new model variants of the fully electric Taycan,” said Porslev’s sales manager Detlev von Platen, adding that the brand rose 36% in the first quarter. “We can look back on a very positive start to the year.”
The Taycan, with which Porsche recently combined a more spacious version, is a litmus test for the expensive manufacture of electric vehicles. Increasing EV sales with Porsche is key to maintaining healthy margins, as the division is by far the largest profit contributor to the VW group.
Porsche’s total world deliveries rose to 71,986 vehicles in the first quarter, driven primarily by demand in China, its largest market. The compact Macan sports utility vehicle was the top-selling model of the brand ahead of the larger Cayenne. Porsche will launch next year a battery-powered version of the Macan, backed by a new luxury electric car platform developed alongside sister brand Audi.
Porsche remains optimistic about the business outlook this year, although a global shortage of semiconductor parts is disrupting production plans in the industry. Order books “remain very well developed,” said Von Platen.