Porsche is flexible should EU delay combustion engine ban

FRANKFURT: Porsche AG is prepared to steer investments back to combustion-engine cars should the European Union decide to delay its timeline for phasing out fuel-burning vehicles, the sportscar maker’s chief financial officer said.

The manufacturer currently expects to start reducing investments in fuel-burning vehicles in 2026 and 2027, but "we are flexible to react” in the event of changes to the EU’s regulation, Porsche CFO Lutz Meschke said Tuesday.

Carmakers are tweaking their strategies for the EV transition after a slowdown in sales.

The EU is set to cease new sales of fuel-burning cars by 2035 to CO2 emissions, though policymakers will revisit the plan in 2026 to assess if the regulation can feasibly be executed.

In January, Meschke said the EU’s 2035 deadline could be pushed back.