Volkswagen Group CEO and former Porsche head Oliver Blume admitted that the decision to discontinue the gasoline-powered Porsche Macan was a mistake. He made the statement in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
According to Blume, the group's strategy assumed the presence of gasoline, hybrid, and electric models in each segment, but not necessarily for each individual model. However, this approach did not work in the case of the Macan.
Our strategy was to offer gasoline, hybrid, and electric sports cars in each of the three segments, but not for every model. We were wrong in the case of the Macan.
He emphasized that at the time of the decision, the market situation looked different, and abandoning internal combustion engines did not seem like a miscalculation. However, demand for cars with traditional and hybrid powertrains turned out to be more stable than expected.
In response to the changing market conditions, Volkswagen and Porsche have expanded their range of models with gasoline engines and hybrid systems. This was an adjustment to the previous course towards accelerated electrification.
The gasoline-powered Porsche Macan left the European market in 2024 after the tightening of environmental requirements, but the admission of error by the management indicates a possible revision of approaches to the brand's model policy.
