German carmaker Porsche is planning to discontinue its first series-production electric car, the Taycan, by no later than 2030 following slowing demand.
The decision by the Stuttgart-based luxury manufacturer follows a choice against relocating production from its main plant in southwestern Germany to its facility in Leipzig, which offers greater manufacturing capacity.
Production plans and factory choices
According to German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which cited insider sources, Porsche had also considered immediately stopping production of the model before deciding on a gradual phase-out.
The plan to wind down manufacturing over the coming years has reportedly been agreed with the Porsche works council, which represents employee interests at Porsche AG, though the agreement has yet to be formally ratified. Production is expected to continue at the primary plant in Stuttgart until the phase-out takes place.
Taycan performance and market pricing
The Taycan launched in 2019 as Porsche's first all-electric model. A critical product for the brand, the luxury sports saloon initially enjoyed strong global sales during its first years on the market but has since experienced a sharp decline in customer demand.
In the UK, the standard Taycan saloon starts from £88,400. The model is also available as the Sports Turismo estate, priced from £89,400, and the higher-riding Cross Turismo variant, which starts at £99,400.
In terms of performance, the base Taycan delivers 429bhp, accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 4.8 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 143mph.
The electric model has also suffered from significant depreciation. Data from Vin Assessment indicates that a Porsche Taycan loses about 57 per cent of its typical asking price over six model years.
Model updates and gear technology
Despite the planned discontinuation, Porsche recently announced a 2027 model-year update in June. The headline features include a new E-Shift system providing virtual gear changes, a more emotive Electric Sport Sound feature, and integrated artificial intelligence.
Under the update, the Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S variants will come equipped with a larger 105kWh Performance Battery Plus as standard, enabling ultra-rapid charging speeds at up to 320kW.
The E-Shift system allows drivers to switch between automatic and manual modes, using paddles mounted on the GT steering wheel to shift up and down through eight virtual gears.
Executive comments and strategy shift
Reports of the phase-out follow guarded comments made to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung last month by Porsche chief executive Dr Michael Leiters, who said the company was not planning to discontinue the Taycan "in the short term".
When the Taycan first went on sale, Porsche's then-chairman Oliver Blume targeted having electric vehicles account for 80 per cent of company sales by 2030. Porsche has since scaled back its plans to transition entirely to electric power, opting to retain petrol-powered versions of the iconic 911 sports car, the Panamera luxury saloon, and the Cayenne SUV into the 2030s.
Speaking at the German company's annual general meeting in June, Dr Leiters declared "there will be no fully electric 911" as he ruled out fully electrifying the flagship model. Instead, the 911 will survive with hybrid technology for the next decade as part of Porsche's future lineup strategy.
The Daily Mail and This is Money have approached Porsche for comment regarding the reports on the Taycan's future.
