Image Credit: Captain Electro.
The 2026 still feels fresh, and I'd love to tell you it's all sunshine and rainbows in the land of electric motoring, but it's all starting to look a bit grim. Just the other day, I was lamenting how the electric Porsche Boxster was turning into a bit of a damp squib, and now, it turns out the lads in Stuttgart aren't content with ruining only their own picnic - they've gone and tipped over Audi's table as well.
Here is the situation: Porsche has a shiny new CEO, Michael Leiters, who took the big chair just days ago. He's taken one look at the company's bank balance, screamed something unprintable, and is reportedly about to axe the entire electric 718 program. That's the electric Boxster and Cayman, gone. Poof. Like a slice of apple pie in the morning.
Image Credit: AUDI.
Normally, I'd just shrug and say, "Well, that's a shame, I'll just drive the petrol one." But, as it turns out, this decision is an absolute disaster for Audi, who has been parading around its gorgeous new "Concept C." This spiritual successor to the TT was supposed to be the future of the brand. I saw it in Milan back in September; a proper stunner it was. I genuinely fell in love with it, which, for a cynical old hack like me, is saying something.
The trouble is, Audi's shiny new toy was engineered to sit on the same electric platform as that doomed Porsche 718. It was a classic "buy one, get one free" deal on development costs. But now that Porsche is pulling the plug to save money, Audi is left holding the bag. And it is not a light bag.
Image Credit: AUDI.
If Audi wants to keep their pretty Concept C alive, they can't just borrow the keys to the Porsche anymore. They'll have to buy the platform and finish building it themselves. Insiders are saying this little rescue mission would cost a "nine-figure sum." That is hundreds of millions of dollars for one car. In this economy? You'd have to be a special kind of numpty to sign that check without sweating.
And why don't they just use the big Volkswagen platform? Because they can't. The Group's next-gen "SSP" platform is delayed until mid-2028. That is two years away, which in the wild EV universe might as well be the next century.
Image Credit: AUDI.
Who is to blame for these absolute omnishambles? You can point a finger at the battery supplier, Northvolt. They went bankrupt, and the whole European automotive industry felt as if its main parachute failed to open. This is what happens when you put all your eggs in the same basket. Replacing Northvolt means finding new batteries, which costs more money that Porsche doesn't want to really spend.
But the real headache is the market itself. Porsche's sales in China have fallen off a cliff - dropping from a healthy 100,000 units to a projected 30,000 (or 40,000 if lucky) for 2026. They are shutting down a third of their dealerships there. It's a proper mess. The Taycan isn't selling, tariffs are biting in the U.S., and profit margins are thinner than the foam on a cheap cappuccino.
Image Credit: AUDI.
Where does this leave us? Porsche is tightening its belt, Audi is staring at a massive bill, and the people who actually like driving fun cars (that's you and me) are likely going to lose one of the most promising electric sports cars of the decade. It's a crying shame. I really wanted that electric TT. But unless Audi finds a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, this dream is over before it even started.
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