The global boss of the Volkswagen Group and, until last week, Porsche has admitted it was a mistake to move the brand’s top seller, the Macan SUV, to electric power.
The executive has also acknowledged that, considering the rapid rise in electric vehicle demand at the time the decision was taken, Porsche would have done exactly the same thing again at that moment.
The candid comments from Oliver Blume come as Porsche accelerates development of a new mid-size petrol SUV to sit alongside the electric Macan, which has failed to match the popularity of its internal combustion predecessor.
Development will take three years instead of Porsche’s usual five, with the project leaning heavily on the underpinnings of the new petrol and plug-in hybrid Audi Q5.
‘We were wrong about the Macan,’ Blume said, speaking to German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
‘Based on the data available at the time and our assessment of our markets, we would make the same decision again to go electric only. Today, the situation is different. We have reacted and are adding combustion engines and hybrids.’
Blume stepped down as head of Porsche on January 1, 2026, with former McLaren CEO Michael Leiters taking over the role.
‘Our strategy was to offer combustion engines, hybrids, and electric sports cars across each of our three segments, but not necessarily for every single model.’
Porsche first confirmed plans for an electric second-generation Macan in February 2019, just weeks before the Tesla Model Y was revealed. That car would later become the world’s best-selling vehicle.
Electric car interest peaked during 2022 and 2023, driven in part by supply constraints and long waiting lists. By the time the electric Macan arrived in 2024, enthusiasm for battery power in the luxury segment had cooled.
The upcoming electric 718 sports car will be sold alongside the current petrol model, while the next-generation version is also expected to be re-engineered to accommodate an engine. The electric Cayenne SUV will likewise be offered alongside today’s petrol version well into the 2030s.
Future generations of the Cayenne and Panamera will continue to offer petrol and plug-in hybrid options.
Work is now underway on a new mid-size petrol Porsche SUV to complement the electric Macan, which sits on a dedicated EV platform and is therefore far harder to convert back to combustion power.