Porsche Says Porsches Are for Driving, Not Self-Driving

As Porsche enthusiasts, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with Porsche CEO Oliver Blume on this one. As Porsche stockholders though, you might be conflicted.

While many big car companies are placing big bets on a future filled with autonomously-driven cars, Porsche thinks cars are meant to be driven by humans, not robots.

“One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself,” said Blume to German paper Westfalen-Blatt (via Reuters). So Porsche will not be joining the race that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are already autonomously running.

While further explaining that Porsche has no desire to team up with a big tech company, Blume went on to say, “An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road.”

Presumably he’s still okay with you carrying an iPhone in your pocket while you drive your Porsche down the road.

While I certainly agree with Blume about the Porsche being a driver’s car, autonomous self-driving is the future. According to a Boston Consulting Group study, by 2025, 13% of all vehicles on the road will have autonomous features, which will represent a market value around $42M. That’s a big market not to want a piece of.

I’m assuming “autonomous features” doesn’t just mean self-driving features. And it’s not like Porsche isn’t embracing autonomous tech. Just look at the InnoDrive system that allows for cornering up to 0.70 g while on cruise control!

But if all the other big luxury companies are hoping to offer a self-driving option, perhaps Porsche should never say “never”.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

Via [Reuters]