(Yicai) Jan. 19 -- Sales of German luxury carmaker Porsche in China have declined for four consecutive years, with last year's figure down 60 percent from a peak in 2021.

Porsche's China sales plunged 26 percent to around 42,000 units in 2025 from the previous year, according to data the Stuttgart-based carmaker released on Jan. 16. In addition, global sales fell 10 percent to about 279,000 units, the biggest drop since 2009.

Previously, Porsche China Chief Executive Pan Liqi confirmed the company's plans to reduce the number of authorized sales outlets in the country from 150 in 2024 to 120 by the end of last year and to about 80 by the end of this year.

Porsche failed to reach the delivery level of 2024 after years of record growth, which was in line with its internal expectations, mainly because supply shortage for the 718 model and the Macan fuel version, Matthias Becker, member of the executive board for sales and marketing, said on Jan. 16. Its strategy of prioritizing per-vehicle profit over simply pursuing sales also had a certain impact, he added.

With the rapid development of Chinese new energy vehicles, the structure of the local auto market has changed, with some high-end domestic cars diverting the traditional luxury market. In addition, luxury brands have been slow in their electric transition.

Porsche was the first ultra-luxury brand to launch a battery electric vehicle, releasing the electric version of the Taycan in 2019. However, it did not develop any exclusive models for the Chinese market.

Last September, Porsche announced it would slow down its electrification process, postponing the launch of some BEV models while planning to roll out more fuel cars and plug-in hybrid EVs.

Porsche sells the Taycan and the Macan BEVs in China, but their performance has not met expectations. It plans to bring the electric editions of the Cayenne and 718 to the Chinese market this year.

Porsche China will gradually cease operations of about 200 self-built premium charging stations across the country from March 1, terminating related services and removing them from the charging map in the Porsche App and WeChat mini-program, it said at the end of last year. The move is likely due to the shift in the company's electrification strategy.

Editor: Martin Kadiev