– Porsche is closing three subsidiaries, cutting over 500 jobs, including winding down Porsche eBike Performance GmbH (about 350 roles in Ottobrunn and Zagreb); e-bikes will be built by Rotwild in Germany going forward.
– The battery subsidiary Cellforce Group in Kirchentellinsfurt is permanently closed, eliminating about 50 positions.
– Software unit Cetitec is shutting down, affecting around 60 jobs in Pforzheim and 30 in Croatia (≈90 total).
– CEO Michael Leiters is streamlining to focus on manufacturing sports cars; Car IT will be dissolved and integrated into general vehicle development from July; executive board reduced from eight to seven divisions.
– The restructuring is driven by weak demand, notably in China, and new US tariffs, reflected in a significant Q1 2026 result slump.
Porsche is pushing a broad realignment of its business strategy, tightening its grip on several operations. The Stuttgart-based automaker is shutting down three subsidiaries, a move that will cost more than five hundred jobs. Central to these cuts is the end of its own e-bike venture. Porsche eBike Performance GmbH will be wound down completely, and the impact touches roughly 350 employees in Ottobrunn near Munich as well as staff in Zagreb, Croatia. The decision signals a tighter focus on core auto manufacturing.
Strategic realignment underway
Although bicycles bearing the Porsche logo will still be offered, their production will be handed over entirely to Rotwild, the German partner, moving forward. This marks a shift away from in-house engineering toward contract assembly, changing how the brand approaches its two-wheeled lineup and leaving uncertainty about future product development. Some fans might still see the Porsche crest on frames, but the work behind them will be done elsewhere henceforth.
Divisions affected and rationale
Beyond the e-bike division, two other companies are affected by the cuts. The battery unit Cellforce Group in Kirchentellinsfurt will close permanently, erasing around 50 positions. Battery production there had largely been halted last year, which adds context to the closure. Software firm Cetitec, specializing in data communication, is also being shuttered. This brings about roughly 60 job losses in Pforzheim and about 30 more in Croatia.
Leadership and market implications
CEO Michael Leiters is driving the streamline of the group for greater efficiency, refocusing strictly on manufacturing high-performance sports cars. Leiters described the cuts as an essential foundation for a successful realignment. With these steps, Porsche is reacting to a pronounced drop in its first quarter results for 2026. The balance sheet is weighed down by slumping demand in the critical Chinese market and by new tariffs from the United States. The restructure even touches the executive suite, with the Car IT department to be dissolved and folded into general vehicle development starting in July.