Legacy automakers may have the scale and experience to jump into the EV race and immediately make an impact, but newer companies have plenty of advantages. A significant upside to being new is that there is no messy heritage to deal with, where customers get angry at the slightest sign of change. That’s a challenge Porsche’s dealing with now, as the storied German company is finding that it will need to take some risks to appeal to buyers in countries like China, where the pace of innovation and change is rapid.
Creating vehicles from a blank slate is an enormously challenging task, but it’s also freeing to a degree because designers don’t have to bow to historical pressures that companies like Porsche are bound by. Parent company VW attributes much of its success in China to its design efforts, and though the brand’s star has dimmed slightly in the country, Porsche believes a similar approach is its best path forward.
It’s unclear if this realization will bleed over into Porsche’s product lines in other countries. Its most iconic models haven’t significantly changed in years, especially from a powertrain perspective, though company executives have confirmed a hybrid 911 is on the way by 2025. The company is gearing up for the release of its second EV in the upcoming Macan, so we could be entering a time of evolution for the brand.
[Image: Porsche]
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