The German automaker will reportedly reduce production of the Porsche Taycan as demand for the model and the overall luxury electric vehicle (EV) market wanes.
The German newspaper “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” reports that the Zuffenhausen plant, where the Porsche Taycan is built, will switch to a single-shift operation instead of the previous two-shift operation.
The newspaper attributed the cuts to falling demand for electric vehicles, which has had a significant impact on Porsche’s electric flagship.
In the Taycan’s first full year of global sales in 2021, Porsche sold 41,296 units of its luxury electric vehicle, the highest annual sales for this model to date.
While a 16 percent decline to 34,801 sales in 2022 was attributed to “supply chain bottlenecks and limited component availability,” Porsche recovered to sell 40,629 Taycans in 2023 amid an overall strong year for the German brand.
The Taycan has also enjoyed great popularity since its launch in Australia in 2021, with 531 units sold here in its first year, falling slightly to 430 sales in 2022, before recovering to a high of 535 sales in 2023.
From January to June this year, 163 Taycans were sold in Australia, 33.7 percent fewer than in the same period last year, when 246 units were sold.
In June, total electric vehicle sales in Australia fell 13.2 percent compared to the same period last year, but increased 16.5 percent compared to the first six months of 2023.
In the luxury electric vehicle segment, Australian sales of the Audi e-tron GT fell 66.8 percent in the January-June period, while the Mercedes-Benz EQE also fell 24.1 percent year-to-date.
According to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Porsche has promised in negotiations with the German works council that no jobs will be cut at the plant. However, only the permanent employees are safe, as the contracts with the temporary workers have allegedly not been renewed in recent weeks.
The production cuts come as part of the Taycan’s recent facelift, which is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms in the coming months.
The update brings more performance, faster charging and an optimized look, but at the same time there is also a price increase of between $10,400 and $15,100, depending on the model variant.
Also coming this year is the Taycan Turbo GT, which holds the Nürburgring record, will cost over $400,000 and will take the crown as the fastest electric vehicle available in Australia.
MORE: Everything about the Porsche TaycanMORE: 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT – Nürburgring record holder with price for AustraliaMORE: Australia’s best-selling electric vehicles in mid-2024