7:10 am, August 13, 2026
Porsche is leaving Volkswagen Group’s European emissions pool and teaming up with Chinese EV maker XPeng as it looks to meet tougher CO2 targets.
The unusual arrangement will see the German sports car manufacturer step outside the emissions pool operated by its own parent group for 2026 and 2027.
Instead, Porsche will form a new ‘open pool’ with XPeng, according to an EU filing dated August 5 and analysed by Schmidt Automotive Research.
The tie-up means XPeng’s zero-emission registrations can help bring down the pool’s overall emissions figure, offsetting the significantly higher CO2 output of Porsche’s petrol-powered models.
Until now, Porsche registrations have formed part of Volkswagen Group’s wider CO2 pool, where its emissions could be balanced against cleaner vehicles sold by other group brands.
Removing Porsche could therefore also make it easier for VW Group itself to hit its European targets.
According to Schmidt Automotive Research, Volkswagen Group recorded average EU fleet emissions of around 100g/km last year, compared with a target of 93.6g/km.
Manufacturers have been given flexibility to meet the tougher rules based on their average performance between 2025 and 2027, meaning Volkswagen will need stronger results over the remaining two years to compensate.
The arrangement also creates another link between VW and XPeng, with the German giant owning a stake of around 5% in the Chinese manufacturer.
It comes as Porsche rebalances its electrification strategy following weaker-than-expected demand for battery-powered models.
Schmidt Automotive Research says Porsche’s BEV registrations across Western Europe have fallen by almost 30% year-on-year in 2026.
Electric cars currently account for around 30% of its new car volumes in the region, compared with almost 40% over the same period last year.
At the same time, Porsche is putting greater emphasis on combustion-engined and hybrid models, including plans for another petrol-powered Macan.
That could make meeting future European fleet emissions targets more challenging and increase the value of pooling with an EV-heavy manufacturer such as XPeng.
XPeng, meanwhile, is expanding rapidly across Europe and the Chinese manufacturer delivered just under 20,000 cars across Western Europe in the first six months of 2026. Schmidt Automotive Research adds that it expects that figure to approach 50,000 for the full year.
It is also growing its presence in Britain after entering the UK market last year with the electric G6 SUV and expanding its dealer network.
Pooling has become increasingly important as manufacturers attempt to meet tougher European emissions rules without facing potentially substantial penalties.
The system allows manufacturers to combine their registrations for compliance purposes, meaning the low or zero emissions of EV-heavy brands can counterbalance manufacturers with higher-emitting fleets.
Several major car makers have previously pooled with EV manufacturers including Tesla and Polestar.
Porsche’s move is particularly eye-catching, however, because it will leave the pool run by its own parent company and instead rely on one of China’s fastest-growing EV manufacturers to help meet its targets.