You’re obviously not going to hear a high-ranking official from an automaker say negative things about a product. It makes perfect sense to hype up something your employer is selling, yet we were still taken aback by what Porsche’s newly appointed boss in Germany declared: “For me, the Taycan is the best electric car in the world.”
Robert Ader took over as Managing Director of Porsche Germany on May 1. In an interview with the business newspaper Automobilwoche, he admitted Taycan production had to be adjusted to match lower-than-expected demand. Sales dropped 49% last year, with Porsche blaming the EV’s facelift changeover but also acknowledging that “electric mobility is generally proceeding more slowly than planned.” In the first quarter of 2025, deliveries declined by 1% compared to the same period in 2024.
Photo by: Porsche
Ader denied that Porsche is “practically pushing the Taycan onto the market” – an allegation reportedly made by German dealers and brought up during the interview. He argued the Taycan isn’t doing as poorly as it may seem, pointing out that it holds a 20% share of Germany’s electric sedan segment, though he conceded the segment itself isn’t as large as Porsche had expected.
What’s next? The Taycan received a significant update in 2024, but the electric sedan is approaching its sixth anniversary. Sarah Razavi, Manager of Charging and Energy Systems for the model, has already hinted at a second generation with more range. She admitted the J1 platform, shared with the Audi E-Tron GT, “definitely has some limitations,” adding that solid-state batteries likely won’t be ready in time.
Before the current Taycan retires, it will have to face a new rival from Mercedes. The AMG GT XX concept previews an upcoming electric super sedan shaping up to be a worthy adversary. However, both German luxury brands have pulled back from their ambitious electric plans. Porsche will continue producing the Panamera with combustion engines “far into the 2030s,” according to CEO Oliver Blume. Meanwhile, Mercedes-AMG is developing a new V-8 engine that it plans to sell well into the next decade.
These are two companies large enough to shift strategies quickly and deliver what customers want. It’s becoming increasingly clear that combustion cars and EVs will need to coexist for many years. Porsche has accepted the reality that the electric transition will take longer than initially thought, which is why it’s now considering gasoline versions of future models originally planned as EV-only. However, giving the next Taycan a combustion engine wouldn’t make sense, as it would overlap with the Panamera.
