Porsche accelerates electric vehicle plans, admits discussions with Apple

The company plans to be carbon-neutral by 2030, it said. Photo credit: Getty Images

Luxury car manufacturer Porsche has admitted it held discussions about joint projects with Apple last year - but people shouldn't jump to the conclusion that a new car is in the works.

Porsche, owned by Volkswagen, also held discussions with other technology firms, its CEO Oliver Blume said.

"We already have Apple CarPlay, we will expand on that," he said during Porsche's annual video conference.

He said both Porsche and Apple were "on the same wavelength" and cooperated closely, but also said it was too soon to make any decisions regarding future projects, according to Reuters.

The company also set out its ambitious plan to increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs) amid rumours of a stock market flotation.

A potential partial listing of Porsche could value the company at up to NZ$144 billion, with the company accelerating plans for electrification.

The company said it intends 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," Blume said.

"In 2030, the share of all new vehicles with an all-electric drive should be more than 80 percent."

Porsche is also investing in premium charging stations with partners as well as its own charging infrastructure.

"Further extensive investments are flowing into core technologies such as battery systems and module production," it said.

Its newly founded Cellforce Group is working on high-performance battery cells with the hope they'll be ready for production by 2024.

In other announcements, Porsche said its Taycan EV line outsold the iconic 911 for the third year running, with over 41,000 sold compared to just 38,500 of the sportscar.

Sales in 2021 totalled $53.1 billion, $7 billion more than the previous year. Profit was $8.5 billion, the company said. 

Blume also told investors that no decision had been made as to whether Porsche will enter Formula One next season, along with sister brand Audi.

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