Porsche and Audi's next EVs could be late

Both brands have supply contracts with Northvolt, which risks not being able to honour its deliveries. Porsche 718s are in danger.

By: Francesco Barontini

Dec 13, 2024 at 5:44am ET

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Porsche is not at peace with Audi. Or, at least, there is no peace for Porsche and Audi electric vehicles. First there were the problems with the development of the EPP platform, then the growing weakness of the market for zero-emission vehicles, and now the problems with battery supplies.

Yes, because guess who is one of the Volkswagen Group's battery suppliers? Northvolt. As a result, some of the Wolfsburg giant's brands may find it hard to source enough batteries. These are mainly Porsche and Audi. But let's sort them out.

The Boxster and Cayman are under threat

Porsche currently has two electric cars on its list, the Taycan and the Macan. Both use batteries produced by Asian manufacturers. The Macan's batteries, for example, come from the CATL factory in the German state of Thuringia.

So these two cars do not appear to be at risk of the much-feared bottleneck in battery supply. However, according to a report in German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing sources inside the company, Porsche has chosen Northvolt as the sole supplier for the batteries in the upcoming electric 718 Boxster and Cayman.

The Porsche Mission R racing concept anticipates the electric Boxster and Cayman

These are two compact sports cars that don't have a lot of space to devote to the battery (which, incidentally, is not mounted under the floor but behind the seats, right where the internal combustion engine used to be) and that benefit greatly from the high-energy-density batteries produced, or rather promised, by Europe's largest battery company. The two cars from the Zuffenhausen-based company are due to make their appearance in 2025, but they now have to resolve a not so insignificant problem, although the official position is to continue with the agreements made.

Audi negotiates with others to avoid future problems

However, according to Handelsblatt, Audi, which has also signed a supply contract with Northvolt, is questioning the agreements made. The company with the four rings is currently examining "whether the contracts with the Swedish manufacturer still have a future".

Audi does not currently use batteries produced by Northvolt. For models such as the A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron based on the PPE platform, the same suppliers as Porsche are used. For models based on Volkswagen's MEB platform, such as the Q4 e-tron, Volkswagen's battery suppliers are used. However, the company is apparently keen to avoid any future problems and is already in talks with CATL and LG Energy Solution to find a replacement for Northvolt if it fails to meet its delivery schedule.

Audi A6 E-Tron

Photo : Audi

Audi SQ6 e-tron

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For its part, Northvolt is trying to reassure its customers. After losing a €2 billion order from BMW due to delays, it has indicated that it is concentrating on speeding up production in order to meet its commitments to other manufacturers.

However, the company is going through a complicated period, to say the least. It is on the verge of bankruptcy and has gone to court to try to save what it can. Will it succeed? Perhaps yes, perhaps even with the help of Porsche and Audi, who would give it oxygen by placing their trust in it.