Porsche is playing it smart by keeping its petrol-powered models alive even as it ramps up electrification. The Cayenne will keep its internal combustion engine (ICE) versions on sale well into the 2030s, even after the new electric model arrives. Porsche plans a similar strategy for the Panamera.

Launched earlier this year, the third-gen Panamera is here to stay. Porsche’s R&D chief, Michael Steiner, confirmed an all-electric Panamera is on the way, but it will run alongside the gas version. “The new Cayenne is fully electric, but for its whole lifespan we will have the ICE version in parallel. It's the same for the Panamera,” Steiner told Autocar.

With no announced launch date for the electric Panamera, the petrol model is expected to remain on sale into the next decade. CEO Oliver Blume previously hinted that the electric Panamera would sit above the Taycan, saying, “The Panamera is one step higher than the Taycan,” suggesting both EVs can coexist without stepping on each other’s toes.

Porsche’s strategy isn’t new. The Macan also has gas and electric variants, although the petrol version will retire by 2026 and has already been discontinued in Europe due to new cybersecurity laws. The 718 Boxster and Cayman face the same fate, with their electric replacements arriving in 2025.

Porsche aims for EVs to make up 80% of its sales by 2030 and is rolling out new models to meet this target. However, Steiner acknowledges the shift will take time, as the transition to EVs is slower in some markets. He sees synthetic fuels playing a role in this gradual switch, helping replace fossil fuels with e-fuels over time. Porsche has been producing synthetic fuel in Chile since 2022, banking on it to keep combustion engines viable in the EU even after 2035.

But BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse warns that the EU’s stance on e-fuels could be a “bogus solution,” allowing combustion engines on paper but failing to support e-fuel infrastructure.

Despite these challenges, Porsche isn’t abandoning its petrol engines. Steiner confirmed that investment in V6 and V8 engines will continue to meet stricter emissions standards. So while Porsche’s future may be electric, the roar of a petrol engine isn’t going silent just yet.