Porsche Versus Greenpeace

Porsche hang signs during Greenpeace demonstration

By Brian
July 30, 2007 2:40 PM
Filed Under: German, Green, Porsche

Greenpeace made fools of themselves last week as they demonstrated at Porsche's main plant in Zuffenhausen. Not only was their demonstration misinformed on several fronts but it brought extra attention to Porsche's new Cayenne Hybrid model which was simultaneously being released to the media.

Porsche welcomed the environmental organization by hanging a large sign reading, "Done It! Greenpeace Demonstration at Porsche. Now We Have Really Made It!".

Like children in a name-calling contest, the misinformed Greenpeace demonstrators accused Porsche of building cars that are "climate pigs" by using a pink Cayenne Turbo and dressing it up with a pig's nose and ears. Porsche fired back with a second sign with a headline "Good to Know"… followed by:

Porsche contribution to CO2 emissions in traffic less than 0.1 per cent.
Porsche has the lowest CO2 emissions per horsepower.
Porsche will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent by the year 2012.
Porsche is introducing the hybrid engine: less than 9 litres fuel consumption on 100 km.

Porsche PR also highlighted that power stations make up 43% CO2 emissions while industry makes 16% and normal households account for 14%. Therefore, Greenpeace's efforts for targeting an auto maker that makes premium cars which are made to the highest build quality, latest technology and top safety standards compared to most volume cars which account for most of the majority of CO2 emissions is unjustified.

Greenpeace obviously did not do their homework and got a taste of their own medicine in the end. Not only does their misguided efforts show lack of principle, but moreover, bad intent. Greenpeace could make better use of their time and energy by creating awareness of real substantiated issues instead of pushing their own political agendas.

More info on the Cayenne Hybrid here: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid First Details

Source: Porsche via Autoblog

Press Release (Click to expand)

Porsche Welcomes Greenpeace "Climate Pigs" with its Own Posters

Stuttgart. For the first time in the history of the company now going back almost 60 years, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG in Stuttgart received a visit today from Greenpeace. The company took the opportunity to welcome the environmental organisation with a big poster proudly stating "Done It! Greenpeace Demonstration at Porsche. Now We Have Really Made It!" rolled out at the entrance to Porsche's Home Plant in Zuffenhausen as a particularly warm sign of appreciation.

Greenpeace accused the company of building cars they claimed to be "climate pigs". Porsche vehemently rejected this accusation and informed the activists that less than 12 per cent of all exhaust emissions in Germany come from passenger cars, with Porsche's share therein being less than one-tenth of 1 per cent. Power stations alone, for example, account for 43 per cent, industry accounts for 16 per cent, and private households 14 per cent. Porsche presented its counter-arguments on a second large poster bearing the headline "Good to Know" followed by impressive facts and figures:

Porsche's contribution to CO2 emissions in traffic less than 0.1 per cent.
Porsche has the lowest CO2 emissions per horsepower.
Porsche will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent by the year 2012.
Porsche is introducing the hybrid engine: less than 9 litres fuel consumption on 100 km.

To refer to Porsche as a "climate pig", given these facts, is not only inappropriate, but also malicious and a clear sign of bad intent. All the more so as Porsche has emphasised time and time again that the CO2 emissions of all Porsche cars are reduced by 1.7 per cent each year. This is an improvement only few other manufacturers are able to match. A further point is that Porsche sports cars are already able today to run on up to 10 per cent bio-fuel (ethanol), ensuring a further improvement of the CO2 balance amounting to the same figure. And the new Cayenne is even able to run on up to 25 per cent ethanol.

A further significant point is that by the end of this decade Porsche will be offering a hybrid version of the Cayenne. And the objective in this case, in terms of fuel consumption, is to have an … before the decimal point that is less than 9.0 litres fuel consumption on 100 kilometres or better than 31.4 mpg imp. Porsche's fourth model series, finally, the Panamera Gran Turismo scheduled to enter the market in 2009, will likewise be available with a hybrid power unit.

Porsche also told the Greenpeace activists that they build premium class cars offering technical features, motoring comfort and safety of the very highest standard, making it impossible to compare a Porsche with a small compact car. Precisely for this reason, the Stuttgart manufacturer is opposed to a common CO2 limit applicable to the car fleets of all car makers in general. Instead, Porsche advocates CO2 emission standards oriented towards individual market segments or categories of cars with such standards by all means being ambitious and demanding.

Concluding the demonstration, Porsche could not resist the temptation to unroll a third large poster stating: "Dear Friends from Greenpeace: Porsche is Better than You Think. But the Good News is that David taking on Goliath was Underestimated, too . . .".