Towards an electrifying year
First electric supercar, several innovations, interview with Marc Ouayoun on the future of Porsche
To continue in the Porsche line, I met the CEO of Porsche Canada, Marc Ouayoun, on the sidelines of the Montreal Auto Show.
"It’s a strategy that is both based on flexibility, but also the ambition to be the forerunners of the electrification of sports cars" Marc Ouayoun, CEO, Porsche Canada
As he begins his third year at the helm of Porsche Canada and thus his 3rd Montreal Auto Show, Porsche sales are increasing while the luxury market is slightly down. It must be said that the range has been expanding for a few years already with the arrival of the Macan and the Taycan, the world's first electric supercar. "For the 911s, it was our best year in 2019, more than 1,400 cars, not counting the 40% increase in sales of Cayenne and more than 3,500 Macans, which arrived with a new model in 2019" told me M. Ouayoun.
For the Taycan, I asked Mr. Ouayoun if it was a disappointment to see the different results of the EPA regarding the autonomy of the Taycan and he replied "For us, we would have liked the homologated autonomy to be closer to the real performance of the vehicle, but in the end, it is better to have a car that runs longer than in real life than in homologation than the reverse. And the tests that have been done by independent institutes, we are among the best, we did tests with journalists during the September launch of Niagara in New York, they all drove about 400 kilometers with the car, if on the road in real conditions, we can drive 400 kilometers, that's fine, and again it was the Turbo S, which is the most powerful, and which should have the shortest range. "including the durability of the batteries, the safety, and Porsche, unlike other
What is interesting when looking at the development of this vehicle and talking about it, is that we are not only talking about the range, but it is a set of factors, manufacturers, has put these points forward. And don't forget that cars charge 80% in less than 25 minutes.
The Future at Porsche
For the future at Porsche, it is a 3-pillar strategy that Mr. Ouayoun explained to me. “We have to be flexible according to demand. For the next 10 years, we will continue to develop 100% electric to quickly achieve 50% of our cars being 100% electric by 2025. We will keep a hybrid offer for people who drive more, who need long distances, and we will keep as long as possible a supply of pure and traditional petrol cars like the 911 and the Boxster 718 and the Cayman. It is a strategy based both on flexibility, but also on the ambition to be the forerunners of the electrification of sports cars. "
For Canada, there will be surprises that we cannot talk about, there will be a lot of news with the Taycan on the roads, the Cayenne Coupé, the 718 GTS Boxster and Cayman GT4 and other versions of the 911. Several new features once again.
I then asked how the Ice Experience (which you can read at the beginning of the "Driving" section) increased sales following the participation of people, and Mr. Ouayoun replied "We are part of our willingness to bring an experience not only to our customers, but to those who want to try and get to know the brand, but experience extraordinary things. We are a sports car manufacturer and we want to bring a unique experience to our customers and those who do not necessarily have one.
Tomorrow, you may want to have a brand experience without owning a car and that is why we offer this type of experience that we want to continue to develop and it is true that Ice Experience is a program so well known and famous that it not only allows you to experience something quite incredible, I am going back to it precisely in January after having experienced it once already, and it allows you to realize what our cars are capable of ice, and it allows you to realize that a 911 is an all-season car that has an extraordinary behavior and to meet enthusiasts and professional instructors who are trained and certified by our head office in Germany and few brands are able to do that. "