If you have been eagerly anticipating a full-electric version of the Porsche 911 sports car, you may want to exhale. It's going to be a while.
On a call Nov. 5, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume indicated in no uncertain terms that a 100 percent battery-powered 911 is a long way off--if ever.
"Let me be clear, our icon, the 911, will have a combustion engine for a long time to come," Blume said. "The 911 is a concept of the car that is prepared for the combustion engine. It's not useful to combine it with pure electric mobility. We believe in purpose-designed cars for electric mobility."
The news could signal a change of heart at the automaker. At a Bloomberg conference last year, Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of the brand's North American division indicated otherwise.
The decision to keep the two-door sports car powered by internal combustion comes as an outlier to the company's plan, according to Blume, that by 2025, half of all Porsche vehicles sold will be electrified--either fully battery electric or plug-in hybrid. It is also likely to hearten the legions of Porsche faithful who drive the 56-year-old model exactly because it retains the character and sound of a combustion-driven car rather than the immediate but silent, gear-less power found in electric cars.
The Porsche Taycan sedan is currently the only all-electric vehicle Porsche sells.