Porsche Hybrid Puts Huge Strain on Battery Suppliers

You wouldn’t expect such high demand for a luxury sports vehicle north of $100K, but if the Tesla Roadster can make waves, why not Porsche’s Panamera Hybrid? Apparently, battery suppliers can’t keep up with demand for the German automaker’s bid for wealthy environmentalists.

“At present we are able to meet customer demand well,” said Gerd Rupp, head of Porsche’s Leipzig plant. “But there are limits because we are dependent on the capacities of battery suppliers.”

The Panamera Basic Hybrid Sedan starts just north of $100,000, and for that you get a V6 engine with 245 kW and 328 hp, a top speed of 270 km/h (167.8 mph), a combined city/highway fuel economy of 25 mpg, and the ability to go from 0–100 km/h in 6 seconds.

OK, so it’s mostly expensive eye candy with some fringe green benefits, but it certainly beats mainstream Porsche models, which are all flash and scant efficiency. And let’s face it – anyone who can afford a Porsche, any Porsche, probably isn’t too concerned with MPG or long-term value.

In parallel news, Porsche’s parent company, Volkswagon, announced plans to install 2,800 charging stations across the US by 2019. The stations would be situated at approximately 500 sites in 17 of the largest American cities. ¾ of them will be at workplaces, with the rest at apartment buildings and other multifamily dwellings.

The total bill for these infrastructure additions should be about $2 billion.

Read more here and here.