German sports car brand Porsche has decided to drop all diesel powertrains from its vehicles, with it now focusing on petrol, hybrid and electric options going forward.
In statement, a Porsche spokesperson said: “Diesel engines traditionally play a subordinate role at Porsche. Porsche does not develop or build diesel engines itself. Currently, the demand for diesel models is falling, whereas interest in hybrid and petrol models is increasing significantly.
“In light of these facts as well as the ongoing consultation with the authorities in relation to another software update, Porsche has made changes to its production planning and has set the End-of-Production date for the Macan S Diesel to 15 February 2018. This decision means that all orders for the vehicle type Macan S Diesel have already been taken out of the production program.”
The brand has already unveiled its latest Cayenne SUV without a diesel option – one that the built-up model usually comes with – while the latest generation of the Panamera sports saloon isn’t provided with a diesel alternative, as it only comes with petrol and plug-in hybrid options.
Porsche will now turn all of its attention towards electrifying the range, with the 911 sports car expected to have a hybrid addition soon, and the all-electric Mission E hypercar also in the works.
Following on from the Volkswagen Group dieselgate scandal from September 2015, Porsche has been affected – with the Macan S diesel requiring a software update last year following the detection of an emissions test ‘defeat device’.