Porsche goes green with leather-free electric sports car

Porsche is making a leather-free version of its new Taycan electric sports car in the latest attempt by a German automaker to play up green credentials as environmental activists lobby for a boycott of the industry.

Last month, a climate activist group smashed up 40 luxury vehicles and called for a boycott of this month's Frankfurt Auto Show because it celebrates an "outmoded climate and environment destroying transportation system."

Porsche, part of Volkswagen, said on Wednesday it would invest €6 billion (S$9.2 billion) through 2022 to develop electric vehicles, as it presented its first zero-emissions sports car.

"With the Taycan, Porsche offers an entirely leather-free interior for the first time. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainable concept of the electric sports car," Porsche said.

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The Taycan has a range of 450 kilometres, making it the first electric vehicle from a German carmaker capable of rivalling Tesla in terms of operating range.

Thanks to an 800-volt system, the car is also capable of adding 100 kilometres to its range from five-minute recharging of its battery, Porsche said.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is priced at €185,456 or £138,826 (S$240,000). First customer deliveries are anticipated from January 2020, the carmaker said.

Other sports car makers are also rushing to develop electric models. Ferrari said last month it hoped to introduce a fully-electric model sometime after 2022.