Porsche Interview with Wolfgang Hatz
11.02.2015
Have all 918 Spyder been sold?
H atz: We only have a few cars left for which the sales contract has not yet been signed. But there are far more customers who want one more. The 918 Spyder is sold out for us.
Doesn't the question of a successor immediately arise?Hatz: No, now we have to First build all cars. We currently manufacture 22 cars in a week: four on a weekday, two on Saturday. That will take until the summer of next year, when we have all built the 918 Spyder.
What are the top markets? With just under 300 units, the USA is by far the most important market for the 918 Spyder. Many cars have also gone to Germany, England and China. Wouldn't a Tesla opponent be a nice follow-up project?Hatz: No, one Pure electric vehicles are currently not the way of Porsche. We have pushed the topic of plug-in hybrids very strongly since 2010, and you can now see that in our product range. We already have three models in the premium segment on the road, more than any other manufacturer.
Critics accuse you of pushing ahead too quickly ...Hatz: I don't think so, we relied on this technology very early on, gained our experience and continuously developed the drive. We are very successful with the concept.
What does successful mean? What is the current share of total sales?Hatz: We're talking about 10 to 15 percent on average. Of course, that varies a lot depending on the market, because where the state subsidizes more, more customers opt for a plug-in hybrid. In Scandinavia or the Netherlands the proportions are significantly higher.
Did the 918 Spyder have to be a hybrid?Hatz: With the 918 Spyder, we figured we would fly to the moon - and we actually did it. We have not learned so much from any other car and now certainly have more know-how than the other manufacturers. And that will be noticeable in the next generation of plug-in hybrids. And not toforgotten: in the further development of the 919, our Le Mans racing car.
There are still others in the racing series ahead of Porsche. Will Porsche be victorious in 2015 with the know-how?Hatz: The best thing about the 919 is our drive. We already have the best performance on the straights. Now let's see that the rest of the car fits too. The team we built for the 919 project is so innovative. We'll be much better on the way again next year. The win at the end of the season in São Paulo shows that our concept is already victorious today.
But the Le Mans Series remains? Doesn't Formula 1 appeal to you?Hatz: Formula 1 has never been an issue for us and will not become one. Le Mans, on the other hand, is an ever more attractive environment. More and more competitors are coming and we are learning more for the series cars.
When will the first all-electric Porsche be mass-produced?Hatz : We have already built a purely electric small series of the Boxster and are currently testing the second generation. But this is still a research project. For me the horse's foot remains the reach. Even the best electric sports cars don't go more than 150 km with a sporty driving style. With a Porsche, however, I have to at least be able to drive from Munich to the mountains or from Stuttgart to Lake Constance and back in a sporty way, otherwise it's not a sustainable concept for me. And battery technology is not that far yet.
What would be an acceptable range for a Porsche electric sports car?Hatz: 350 to 400 km with a sporty driving style would be a target for me that we have to achieve. The batteries also have to become smaller and lighter. Such a package quickly weighs 600 to 700 kg. That's a lot in a sports car. Another way of reducing CO2 is downsizing.
You are already working on a four-cylinder boxer with a turbocharger. Will it also be used in the 911?Hatz: We won't have a four-cylinder in the 911. That just doesn't fit.
The use in the Boxster and Cayman remains. When will the engine be introduced?Hatz: We are preparing the engine for the next generation of Boxster and Cayman models. I can promise one thing: the performance will definitely be typical of Porsche.
How much will Porsche be able to reduce its fleet consumption by 2020? What goal are you aiming for?Hatz: I don't want to mention an exact target for Porsche here, we are offset within the VW Group. But let me say this much: by 2020 we will reduce our fleet consumption significantly more than the averagein the auto industry, and we've already achieved that in recent years. Believe me, we are very ambitious.
How are you going to develop the 911 further? Will the next generation get bigger again? How much weight can you still reduce?Hatz: With the current generation, we have been able to save 70 kg on the body alone. After the increased crash requirements, a weight reduction of 45 kg remains. We will of course continue the topic of lightweight construction, but from my point of view it cannot get any bigger. That will be difficult in that the next 911 has to be prepared for hybridization. And that takes up space. But we're on the right track.
Topics such as the networking of smartphones and cars, new operating systems and large displays are of increasing concern to the automotive industry. How does a more puristic sports car brand like Porsche deal with it?Hatz: We are dealing very intensively with these topics, precisely to find out what the right path is for Porsche. It starts with the question of how big a display in a 911 or Panamera needs to be. The answer: Certainly not as big in the 911 as in the Panamera. I think we have developed a great concept in terms of operation for the next Panamera. It will be high quality and intuitive, but at the same time limited to what the driver really needs. It is important to me that we do not install a sinfully expensive system that is already out of date a year after the market launch. We need an architecture that perfectly integrates external devices and can be updated without any problems.
So the cockpits of your sports cars will differ more from those of off-road vehicles and limousines?Hatz: I think the cockpits have to differ even more. The interiors of the Elfer and Boxster are smaller, so we don't have the chance to install large center consoles with huge displays. The development process in these areas has recently become much more intensive. Incidentally, we noticed that not everything that is technically feasible is also good.
How do you intend to carry out software updates for your vehicles in the future? Via the Internet in the car?Hatz: Maybe in a few years. As a first step, the customer could perhaps come to the dealership once a year in the future. Then he gets a cup of coffee and the latest products are shown. We also install the updates free of charge and see whether everything else is OK. That would be a great service and also ensured good customer loyalty.
