Northolt's financial crisis affects Porsche's electrification plans

A dark cloud seems to be gathering over Porsche's electric vehicle (EV) development plans.

Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, which could affect Porsche's electrification strategy.

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that it was scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2025.Porsche 718 electric modelIt is. This model was to use Northvolt batteries, but the current financial crisis may make it difficult to launch it as planned, according to the company.

Importance of High Energy Density Batteries

The reason Porsche insists on Northolt batteries is because of theirHigh energy densityIt is believed to be located in
Weight reduction is extremely important for a sports car, and the use of high-energy density batteries allows the battery pack to be smaller, reducing the overall weight of the car.

For a high-performance sports car manufacturer like Porsche, this technology was considered essential to the company's electrification strategy. Therefore, North Volt's financial crisis could have a significant impact on Porsche's electrification strategy.

718 Other Issues in EV Development

Interestingly, it appears that battery problems are not the only cause of the 718 EV's development delay. According to reports,Some components of the drive trainThere is also a problem with the product, which itself could be the cause of a delay in its release.

Porsche has avoided commenting officially on these rumors, saying that they cannot discuss supplier issues. However, it is believed that a combination of multiple factors may well delay the launch of the 718 EV beyond the original schedule.

Also, to develop models that can be equipped with engines in addition to EV models,There are reports that the platform is undergoing a major redesign.The impact of this is also possible.

Impact on European automakers

Northolt's financial crisis could affect not only Porsche but other European automakers as well.
For example, Audi also has a battery supply agreement with Northvolt, and they were planning to use Northvolt batteries in their next-generation EV models that use the PPE platform.

However, in the case of Audi, it is not expected to be affected as severely as Porsche because it has contracts with other battery suppliers such as CATL and LG. Still, Northvolt's business crisis seems to be a major concern as the European automotive industry as a whole is trying to reduce its dependence on Chinese batteries.

It will be interesting to see how Northolt's restructuring will proceed and how it will affect the electrification strategies of Porsche and other European automakers. For Porsche fans, information on the 718 EV's launch date and performance will be of great interest.