Porsche May Retire Diesel Engines By 2020

German carmaker Porsche will come to a decision by the end of this decade whether to continue the diesel engines or retire them. This information was revealed by Chief Executive of Porsche, Oliver Blume.

Volkswagen's diesel emission scandal has badly impacted the brand. The automaker had to stop the sales of the Cayenne SUV in the US market after admitting the use of illegal software to hide emissions. And it is facing investigations in several other countries.

Amidst all this, Porsche is evaluating whether to continue offering diesel engines. Currently, Porsche offers the Macan and the Panamera with the diesel engines. Blume stated that a final decision would be made by 2020.

Blume said, "Of course we are looking into this issue. We have not made a decision on it." He stated that Porsche would offer a mix of conventional engines, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles over the next 10-15 years.

The diesel scandal is not the only reason for Porsche to come to this decision. Blume said that the main cities around the world, particularly in Asia, might limit the usage of diesel vehicles in the near future.

Porsche has also invested around 1.2 billion dollars in developing its first electric vehicle, the Mission E. The eco-friendly vehicle will make its entry to the market by 2019. Blume also stated that electric vehicles would account for a quarter of Porsche's sales by 2025.

DriveSpark Thinks!

This is the first time a German automaker has publicly revealed its plans to ditch diesel engines. Porsche is also not known for selling diesel vehicles, so it might come to a decision to retire diesel engines.