[throwaway902984]

I think one misstep from a business pov, was targeting the sports car market for their EV shift. I love EVs, and racing. EV racing is a different beast from what Porsche customers in particular expect. They will need a configuration as novel as the boxer engine.

[Kim_Bruning]

On the one hand ICE sports cars still have the cool reputation, but that reputation is slowly going to get a bit tarnished as more and more get smoked by "mom's shopping car" (as newer EV's come on the market) at the drag race. Ultimately electric motors are the superior technology here.

Oddly, steam had some very interesting properties too, but for motor vehicles was ultimately let down by practicality and possibly power-to-weight ratio if I recall correctly.

ICE of course was always about convenience and a lot of energy in a small tank. As batteries improve, this advantage is being worn down.

Meanwhile, in trains, "hybrid" (diesel-electric) and electric are the two main types left. There's simply a lot to be said for 100% torque at 0 RPM.

[jasonthorsness]

EVs often have great acceleration, so I would think it would be a natural fit for the sports car market. Even the ordinary ones are a lot more fun to accelerate on a freeway onramp than an ordinary 4- or 6-cylinder gas engine.

[danw1979]

For sure, your average quick-off-the-mark, around-town EV is way more fun to drive than your average four banger.

But, I've been in a Model 3 Performance and a Taycan 4S and experienced the ~3s electric 0-60, and... it's just ghostly, linear motion, nothing like the feeling of the non-linear jerk and jolt-punctuated ride you get with a powerful ICE and manual transmission.

The M3P in particular was so shockingly video game-like it almost felt dangerous, as though I didn't really realise just how fast I was going until it was too fast.

[throw-the-towel]

If anything EVs have too great acceleration. I dread the day they become dominant and every trip by car becomes a nausea-inducing joyride for me.

[EduardoBautista]

Sports cars are about handling, not acceleration.

[constantcrying]

How is this a miss step? The ICE cars they wanted to sell will soon be illegal, so what alternatives do they have, but develop EVs?

[CamperBob2]

They will soon be illegal in the EU and, I suppose, the UK. Not in most other regions including North America and Asia.

Porsche's mistake lies in forcing all of their other customers, worldwide, to accept products designed to satisfy EU regulators. Lowest-common-denominator engineering has never been why people buy Porsches, but these days the engineers at Porsche take a bus to work, where they report to people who were chauffeured there.

[l1tany11]

They don’t have a sports car EV though. They launched a sedan, crossover and midsize SUV.