Porsche withdraws from Audi's Project Artemis flagship EV program

Porsche has scrapped plans to build a new technology-laden electric vehicle in Hanover, Germany.

The performance marque was in the early stages of developing a joint flagship EV with Audi, through the latter brand’s Project Artemis program – both based around the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP).

Bentley will also establish one electric model around the project, which is intended to showcase the best of the VW Group’s autonomous driving and energy efficiency capabilities.

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Audi Grandsphere concept, previewing Project Artemis

As per Electrive, Bentley has also thrown a spanner in the works for its flagship EV, with final production rumoured to now take place in England – with only the bodywork to be produced in Germany.

However, according to a new report by Automotive News, Porsche will pay around €100 million (AU$160m) to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles after it decided to backpedal on the deal.

Porsche will instead manufacture its electric vehicle, known internally as the K1, at its Leipzig plant, which currently produces the Macan and Panamera.

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Porsche Taycan

Electric successors to both will also be built in Leipzig, with all to be underpinned by the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture.

The 2023 Macan EV will become the first Porsche based around the platform, which will be shared with the Audi A6 E-Tron and Q5 E-Tron.

Production of the flagship PPE-based Porsche is now expected to commence in 2026 – around one year later than initial SSP plans – with an electric successor to the Cayenne also anticipated to arrive at a similar time.

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Porsche Vision Gran Turismo

The Hanover plant, which is operated by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, will construct the all-electric Volkswagen ID Buzz – set for debut on March 9 – and its ID California spinoff, as well as the forthcoming Audi and Bentley electric flagships.

In a press release published in December, chairwoman of the works council at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Bertina Murkovic, said the brand had “disappointment at Porsche's rejection of the Hanover site.”

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It is believed the funds paid by Porsche will compensate Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for the production of fewer SSP-based vehicles, with the now-scrapped flagship model projected for around 25,000 sales per annum.

The decision to move away from Project Artemis is believed to centre around the heavy focus on self-driving technology, with Porsche believing its buyers are more interested in performance than autonomous systems.