Porsche stops making diesel cars after VW emissions scandal

The German automaker Porsche has announced that it will stop making diesel cars and instead focus on gasoline, electric and hybrid engines.

It follows a scandal in 2015 in which its parent company, Volkswagen, admitted cheating on diesel emission tests.

Diesel cars of a certain age have been banned in some parts of some German cities for the purpose of reducing pollution.

The CEO of Porsche said the company "does not demonize diesel".

"It's and will remain an important propulsion technology," said Oliver Blume.

"As a manufacturer of sports cars, however, for whom diesel has always played a secondary role, we have come to the conclusion that we want our future to be without diesel.

"Gasoline engines are well suited for sporty driving."

Customers of existing diesel cars would continue to be serviced, he said.

Porsche has not built its own diesel engines, preferring to use those of Audi.

"Nevertheless, the image of Porsche has suffered, said Mr Blume.

"The diesel crisis has caused us a lot of problems."

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A German prosecutor imposed a fine of 1 billion euros (900 million pounds sterling) on ​​Volkswagen at the beginning of the year, after finding that the company had sold more than 10 million cars equipped with cheat software anti-emissions between 2007 and 2015.

The company had already set aside 30 billion dollars (23 billion pounds sterling) to pay fines, compensation and buy cars in the United States.

Porsche is expected to develop a fully electric luxury car, with an investment of several billion euros.

The first car designed by its founder in 1898 was electric. It was rediscovered in a garage a few years ago.

The company's first diesel car was sold only 10 years ago.