Many automakers are rethinking their strategies for electric vehicles. Some names are easy to shrug off and say that they probably bit off more than they could chew. Stellantis, for example, is struggling to consistently target its EV plans. But it’s not just the usual suspects who are doing the twists.
On the other side of that coin is Porsche, which, like Stellantis and other big brands, is now abruptly backing away from its all-electric plans. The brand’s former CEO has openly admitted that the decision to make the Macan an all-electric model was a mistake, and Porsche already has plans to correct that mistake.
A mistake in strategy for the Macan
Former CEO Oliver Blumewho stepped down from his post at the start of 2026, revealed that turning the next-generation Macan into an all-electric model was a mistake.
“We made a mistake with the Macan,” Blume told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, referring to Porsche’s 2019 decision to retire the gasoline Macan in favor of an all-electric model.
While purists didn’t like the EV when it launched in early 2024, many felt the badge was more important than the engine to most Macan buyers. However, weakening demand for expensive luxury electric vehicles and regulatory hurdles have made the all-electric Macan a tougher sell than some expected. Blume admitted that hindsight is always the most accurate.
“Based on the data at the time, we would have made the same decision, but today’s situation is different. We are responding by adding internal combustion engines and hybrids,” said Blume.
What comes after the electric Macan?
Porsche now plans to reintroduce the compact crossover with a gasoline engine, but it will not be called Macan. The new model, which arrives by 2028 at the latest, will occupy the same segment below the Cayenne SUV and is expected to use the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform, which also underpins the Audi Q5. Blume is even more forthcoming crossover described as “very, very typical Porsche” and deliberately different from the electric Macan.
But the mistake with the Macan is not the only one the brand is dealing with. Porsche has also confirmed that future 718 series sports cars, which were originally intended to be purely electric, will also offer options with internal combustion engines and hybrid variants.