Porsche To Slash Cayenne's Fuel Consumption With Hybrid Model

The EPA ranks the 2008 Porsche Cayenne near the bottom of the list, or "worst," when it comes to fuel economy. The '08 Cayenne gets 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. But Porsche on Monday said it plans to cut the average fuel consumption of the Cayenne by nearly a third when it brings out a hybrid version at the end of 2009.

Porsche is targeting 26.8 mpg for its Cayenne hybrid, according to Reuters. The impetus for the move comes from Europe's stringent carbon dioxide guidelines. Porsche is working with Volkswagen and Audi to develop hybrids that capture energy from braking.

Porsche said it would roll out a hybrid version of the Panamera coupe. It has no plans for hybrid versions of the Boxster/Cayman or 911.