Stuttgart.
For the first time
in the history of the company now going back almost 60 years, Dr. Ing.
h.c. F. Porsche AG in Stuttgart received a visit today from Greenpeace.
The company took the opportunity to welcome the environmental
organisation with a big poster proudly stating “Done It! Greenpeace Demonstration at Porsche. Now
We Have Really Made It!” rolled out at the entrance to Porsche’s Home
Plant in Zuffenhausen as a particularly warm sign of appreciation.Greenpeace accused the company of building cars they claimed to be "climate pigs". Porsche vehemently rejected this accusation and informed the activists that less than 12 per cent of all exhaust emissions in Germany come from passenger cars, with Porsche's share therein being less than one-tenth of 1 per cent. Power stations alone, for example, account for 43 per cent, industry accounts for 16 per cent, and private households 14 per cent. Porsche presented its counter-arguments on a second large poster bearing the headline ”Good to Know“ followed by impressive facts and
figures:
”Porsche’s contribution to CO2 emissions in traffic less than 0.1 per cent.
“
”Porsche has the lowest CO2 emissions per horsepower.“ ”Porsche will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent by the year 2012.“ ”Porsche is introducing the hybrid engine: less than 9 litres fuel consumption on 100 km.“
To refer to Porsche as a "climate pig", given these facts, is not only inappropriate, but also malicious and a clear sign of bad intent. All the more so as Porsche has emphasised time and again that the CO2 emissions of all Porsche cars are reduced by 1.7 per cent each year. This is an improvement only few other manufacturers are able to match. A further point is that Porsche sports cars are already able today to run on up to 10 per cent bio-fuel (ethanol), ensuring a further improvement of the CO2 balance amounting to the same figure. And the new Cayenne is even able to run on up to 25 per cent ethanol.
A further significant point is that by the end of this decade Porsche will be offering a hybrid version of the Cayenne. And the objective in this case, in terms of fuel consumption, is to have an “8“ before the decimal point – that is less than 9.0 litres fuel consumption on 100 kilometres – or better than 31.4 mpg imp. Porsche’s fourth model series, finally, the Panamera Gran Turismo scheduled to enter the market in 2009, will likewise be available with a hybrid power unit.
Porsche also told the Greenpeace activists that they build premium class cars offering technical features, motoring comfort and safety of the very highest standard, making it impossible to compare a Porsche with a small compact car. Precisely for this reason, the Stuttgart manufacturer is opposed to a common CO2 limit applicable to the car fleets of all car makers in general. Instead, Porsche advocates CO2 emission standards oriented towards individual market segments or categories of cars – with such standards by all means being ambitious and demanding.
Concluding the demonstration, Porsche could not resist the temptation to unroll a third large poster stating: “Dear Friends from Greenpeace: Porsche is Better than You Think. But the Good News is that David taking on Goliath was Underestimated, too . . .“.
