German high-performance automaker Porsche has revealed that the fully electric Taycan had outsold the company’s flagship 911 over the first nine months of the year.
Porsche delivered 217,198 vehicles globally over the first nine months of the year, a 13% increase for the company despite continued impact from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The recovery compares to the 5% drop in sales Porsche experienced for the nine-month period between 2019 and 2020.
The company’s most successful model remains the Porsche Cayenne, which saw 62,541 models delivered, followed by the Macan with 61,944 units.
However, the big news out of the company’s delivery numbers was the fact that Porsche’s fully electric Taycan racked up 28,640 models during the first three quarters, edging just ahead of Porsche’s iconic 911 which saw deliveries of 27,972.
The news will also hopefully push Porsche towards a greater commitment to transitioning its vehicles to electric versions. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said earlier this year that 80% of the vehicles sold by the automaker by the end of this decade will be electric – including both fully electric and hybrid electric variants.
An all-electric version of the Macan is planned for 2023.
The Taycan had already done well in the Australia market, and accounted for 50 per cent of its passenger vehicle sales in the first half of 2021
The first all-electric Porsche Taycan Cross Turismos landed in Australia in late-August, and is available in three variants starting at $176,600 for the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, which is joined by the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo at $205,300 and the Turbo Cross Turismo at $279,000, all before on-roads costs and delivery charges.
At the same time, Porsche overhauled its Taycan, introducing a range of new colours mimicking colours that made the company’s 911 Carrera 2 and 4 so iconic. Porsche has also promised more range for the Taycan.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.