Reducing pollutant emissions is, definitively, the horizon towards which four-wheeled mobility is looking. A wave that is growing and gathering greater force every day, to the point of drawing in even those brands that, until about a decade ago, were focused on objectives far removed from environmental respect. Such is the case with Porsche, celebrated for its sports cars and now oriented not only towards performance and technology, as tradition dictates, but also towards a sustainable future, spelled out in clear terms by the new strategic programme spanning vehicle engineering and energy resource use, the social impact of the labour market and the refinement of production strategies.

Porsche's sustainable performance

They will never renounce the cult of performance. They will never build a car that does not deliver a powerful emotional impact. They will never produce a "utility" car. As in the fable of the frog and the scorpion, Porsche's engineers will never be able to betray their own instinct. They will, however, work in a direction that the Stuttgart marque has so far only partially pursued with the Cayenne plug-in hybrid SUV and the Panamera saloon, also hybrid and equipped with batteries rechargeable via a standard domestic socket; they will work towards the electrification of new models and, more broadly, the reduction of emissions across the entire range. The first landmark step in this direction was already taken with the presentation in 2015, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, of the Mission E concept; now, however, the German manufacturer's green programme is receiving a sharp acceleration with the release of the brand's second sustainability report, the follow-up to the original 2014 document.

Reducing emissions across every area

"Reducing emissions and fuel consumption of every new model by 10 per cent – stated Oliver Blume, chief executive of the German marque – is one of Porsche's priority objectives. A path that can be pursued immediately through the reduction of engine displacement and the introduction of forced induction, as done with the most recent sports models (the 911 and 718 series), in the near future through the extension of plug-in hybrid technology and, further down the line, through the progressive electrification of the range." "The responsible use of resources is the key to remaining competitive over the long term – continued the chief executive of the Stuttgart factory – even at an industrial level, as demonstrated by our Leipzig plant, which achieves CO2 emissions 12,000 tonnes lower than the standard. Our horizon is, and must be, socially acceptable."

Porsche's future flagship will be electric

The Cayenne sport utility and the Panamera saloon, along with the limited-edition hypercar 918 Spyder, have given concrete form to Porsche's commitment to reducing emissions by sharing hybrid technology. The landmark turning point for the Stuttgart marque came, however, as mentioned, in 2015, with the introduction of the Mission E concept. Destined to enter production by 2020, the German show car previews the first electric flagship, as well as the first low-emission vehicle produced in large series, in Porsche's history. To make it a reality by the end of the decade, the German manufacturer has allocated 700 million euros and approved the hiring of a thousand new employees. A revolution. Regarded as the ultimate anti-Tesla, Mission E boasts 600 hp and a 0 to 100 kilometres per hour sprint in 3.5 seconds, 500 kilometres of range and the ability to charge the batteries to 80 per cent in just 15 minutes. Record-breaking figures, underpinned by two permanent-magnet synchronous motors paired with four-wheel drive and all-wheel steering.

Manufacturers look to the environment

Porsche Mission E, regardless of whatever commercial success it may or may not achieve, marks a watershed between past and future: it affirms the principle that the highest expression of technology, even for a hyper-sporty brand like Porsche, cannot be divorced from environmental sustainability. A trend confirmed in recent times both by the success of the Tesla Model 3 electric saloon and by the attention mainstream brands are paying to "clean" models — just think of Toyota and Renault, which boast complete ranges dedicated to sustainable mobility, not to mention the inclination of premium manufacturers to refine their existing products, as seen in the significant increase in range of the BMW i3 electric compact. The wind has changed, and it is now blowing in the right direction.