DOA: Porsche Cayenne hybrid

To never put rubber to the road?

I never thought much of Porsche's move to hybrid cars, but at least the development was a step in the right direction. That step, however, has been made much smaller.

Now that VW is taking over Porsche, the Cayenne and it's upcoming hybrid sibling will be discontinued.

Too much Cayenne in this hybrid

Too little too late

The other day Porsche released its fuel economy numbers for the Cayenne hybrid. I wasn't going to bring them up. Since, however, I have a bit of an attitude today, I've changed my mind.

26. That's the magic number. Unfortunately, it isn't a very good trick, even for a Porsche.

The Porsche hybrid will offer combined fuel economy of 26 mpg, although the EPA might yet knock those numbers down. Compared to the 15 mpg S model, that's an impressive improvement in efficiency, right?

I don't care. 26 mpg just isn't the future, even if you put a hybrid badge on it. Had Porsche launched the Cayenne when Toyota launched the RX400h, I might have been impressed, but not today.

Porsche hybrids: Simply no choice?

Efficiency = Survival?

Just as Porsche was showing off the Porsche Cayenne hybrid this summer, Greenpeace was protesting the automaker. Hybrid cars weren't enough to appease Greenpeace's belief that Porsche builds gas-guzzling pigs.

Well, hybrids might not be enough for Greenpeace, but they might be enough to help Porsche survive into the future as fuel efficiency and emissions regulations continue to increase in both government regulations and consumer concern.

Thus, Porsche has confirmed their second hybrid, the Porsche Panamera hybrid. There are few details on this new Porsche hybrid, other than it will largely be built using the same hybrid technology as the Cayenne hybrid. Look for the Panamera hybrid around 2010 at price of around $100,000.00.

Porsche hybrid cool; Porsche people not

Porsche Cayenne hybrid at the LA Auto Show

I like going to auto shows. To bad not everyone working the auto shows likes their job.

I have a good relationship with the people at GM, for example. And, GM provides top notch service at auto shows, making numerous executives - top executives - available all day long to answer questions about their cars.

Very few other automakers come close to matching GM's performance, and one of the worst staffs has to be Porsche - at least yesterday. The Porsche Cayenne hybrid is a fantastic looking vehicle - one that I believe can shake up the luxury market. Too bad the Porsche staff aren't as fantastic. Nonetheless, I'm going to give them another try today. hopefully, they'll do better this time!

Cayenne Hybrid: A step in the right direction for Porsche

Hybrids+ might be Porsche's only way forward, such as this Porsche Cayenne hybrid

So, Greenpeace doesn't like Porsche, even if they do convert some of their vehicles into hybrid vehicles, such as the Cayenne hybrid. Who cares? Greenpeace doesn't believe that hybrids are a solution to global warming either. Apparently, the world's transportation economy is just supposed to stop.

I prefer to deal with realism. Finish: Cayenne Hybrid: A step in the right direction for Porsche

Edmunds takes a closer look at the Porsche hybrid

The Cayenne hybrid will be coming soon?

Is the Porsche Cayenne hybrid really going to be built? When? How much will it cost?

While the answers to the last two questions are not clear, Porsche is absolutely going to build the Cayenne hybrid and other other hybrid vehicles, according to Edmunds.

"Porsche is not ready to give us answers to our "When?" and "How much?" questions. It would only say that the Cayenne Hybrid will hit the market "before the end of the decade," adding that the "USA has the highest hybrid sales potential."

More important, it appears that Porsche is not only, like most automakers, experimenting with lithium, the automaker and its partners are also adding a new, unique perspective to hybrid technology - helping to advance the potential of hybrid technology.

That's great news for hybrid fans.

Read more of First Look: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Greenpeace doesn't see hybrid vehicles as a solution

Greenpeace protests Porsche hybrid announcement

Climate pigs. That's what Greenpeace calls the vehicles that Porsche produces, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Greenpeace Thursday staged a demonstration outside the Porsche's Stuttgart, Germany headquarters on the same day the company gave a public demonstration of the new gas-electric vehicle."

"According to the group's spokesman, Guenter Hubmann, about 17 activists arrived in the early morning, bringing with them a pink-colored Cayenne disguised as a pig. A banner read, 'Porsche builds climate pigs'."

In addition, Greenpeace stated they do not support hybrid vehicles as a solution to global warming. Whether that means that Greenpeace simply doesn't support hybrids in general, or as a solution to Porsche's hybrids was not made clear.

Porsche to go super hybrid

70 mph on the electric engine alone

Porsche has announced plans to develop a Porsche Cayenne hybrid that will be 25 percent more fuel efficient than a conventional Cayenne. More interesting, however, the hybrid Cayenne will be able to cruise on pure electricity up to 70 mph. Toyota hybrid vehicles, for example, can only drive in all-electric mode up to around 30 mph.

So, what is Porsche's secret? I wish I knew.