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Lamborghini, also part of the Volkswagen group, has
expressed similar scepticism about the trend towards autonomous
driving, a concept which brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz
are seeking to build into their models.
The comments from Porsche Chief Executive Oliver Blume show that
some car makers believe their drivers want to remain firmly in
control at the wheel.
"One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself," Blume said in an
interview with regional newspaper Westfalen-Blatt published on
Monday.
"An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road," Blume
added, saying that Porsche did not need to team up with any big
technology companies.
The market penetration of vehicles with autonomous features is
expected to reach 13 percent by 2025, representing a market of
roughly $42 billion, Boston Consulting Group said.
Stuttgart-based Porsche, which stresses the performance and feel
of its cars in its marketing, does plan to offer hybrid versions
of all its models in the foreseeable future as it struggles to
lower emissions across the fleet.
A plug-in hybrid of the 911 model with a range of 50 km (31
miles) will hit the market as early as 2018, Blume said.
Porsche also plans to spend about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion)
on production facilities at its biggest plant to build the
Mission E, its first-ever all-electric model, a move reflecting
parent VW's growing commitment to increase its electric
offerings as it struggles to overcome an emissions scandal.
The Mission E, boasting more than 600 horsepower and a range of
over 500 km, will come to market by the end of the decade.
(Reporting by Maria Sheahan, Andreas Cremer and Edward Taylor
Editing by Louise Heavens and Keith Weir)
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