German luxury car manufacturer Porsche may have said that it held discussions about joint projects with Apple last year. But that doesn't mean a new Apple car is in the works. Or in any case, it won't any time soon.
“We already have Apple CarPlay, we will expand on that,” Porsche's Chief Executive Oliver Blume said. But he himself has discounted any over-reading of the situation where Porsche and Apple are in a cooperation. During a video conference on the annual earnings, the Porsche CEO said his people met with Apple's people in California last year to discuss joint projects. But he quickly tempered his words by saying that it was too early to make any decisions on joint future plans.
Even if the two premium companies clinch a deal, the car will take years to make it to the market as both are not known to rush things just for the sake of it.
But regardless of what happens between Porsche and Apple, the German carmaker, who is owned by the Volkswagen Group, is accelerating ahead with its EV plans. "In 2030, the share of all new vehicles with an all-electric drive should be more than 80%," Blume said.
Porsche to build its own network of EV charging stations
Last year, 41,296 customers took delivery of the first all-electric Porsche. "The Taycan is 100% a Porsche and inspires all kinds of people – existing and new customers, experts and the trade media. We are stepping up our electric offensive with another model: By the middle of the decade, we want to offer our mid-engine 718 sports car exclusively in an all-electric form," Blume said
In addition, Porsche has announced its intention to be carbon-neutral on the balance sheet in 2030. "In 2025, half of all new Porsche sales are expected to come from the sale of electric vehicles – i.e. all-electric or plug-in hybrid," according to Blume.
Further, Porsche is investing in premium charging stations together with partners – and additionally in its own charging infrastructure. More investments are flowing into core technologies such as battery systems and module production. "In the newly founded Cellforce Group, high-performance battery cells are being developed and produced that are expected to be ready for series production by 2024," Porsche said.
