Who would have thought that one day we would talk about layoffs within the Volkswagen group? Worse still, who would have thought that we would simply evoke this theme at Porsche which seemed to be sheltered from storms forever (or, at least, for around twenty years)? Probably no one. But the year 2024 has been trying for many major manufacturers and luxury is not spared. Whether on the side of the English brands, Maserati or even Porsche, the difficulties, certainly at very different levels, have been present to the point of calling into question the strategy of the German manufacturer which is starting to think “economy”.
Layoffs at Porsche?
The question is asked as Oliver Blume is now trying to reorient the strategy: forgotten, the objective of 80% of electric sales by 2030 which now seems unattainable given the current state of the battery car market in Europe. Replacing the thermal Macan with the electric could also cause the damage that we imagine on Porsche’s best-seller on the Old Continent.
But it is especially China which is not reassuring: over the first nine months of the year, Porsche sold 30% fewer cars in a country where national consciences are becoming increasingly strong. And this is necessarily to the detriment of foreign brands, regardless of their prestige. Porsche is not immune to this disillusionment which is beginning to worry management. If the “catastrophe” scenario of years with 250,000 sales materializes, the reduction in size could amount to 8,000 employees depending on Automobile Weekout of the 42,000 that the Stuttgart firm has worldwide. Far from being anecdotal! And 1,000 temporary agency contracts have already ended without renewal, particularly in Germany.
Porsche seems to be fumbling
A Panamera which may not be renewed before 2030, a Cayenne whose lifespan could ultimately be extended more than expected, Porsche gives the impression of moving forward in the fog while the course of action has always been more or less good traced over the last 25 years. The future “K1”, which will oversee the Cayenne and will be 100% electric, could ultimately also be sold thermally. And to make matters worse, the development of the 718 electric range would suffer from problems with batteries supplied by Valmet (housed in the center of the vehicle, which would pose a problem for Porsche). The launch would then be postponed, but as the brand planned to discontinue the thermal 718s, there is a risk of having a shortage in the catalog over a transitional period.
