Asia Tech Wire (July 9) -- Porsche's sales in China fell 33% in the first half of the year amid rumors of a Taycan EV production cut.

The Taycan, Porsche's first all-electric model, was popular in the market, but sales have fluctuated in recent years.

Data shows that its overall global sales are on a downward trend from 2020 to 2023.

And in the first half of this year, Porsche sold 155,945 units worldwide, down 7% from a year earlier, according to data released Tuesday.

The German automaker sold 29,551 units in China during the same period, down 33% from 43,832 units in the same period a year earlier.

Porsche delivered 8,838 Taycan electric-electric vehicles in the first half of the year, down 51% year-on-year. And in 2023, it sold 4,151 Taycan cars in China.

Amid the sales decline, German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung recently reported that Porsche plans to reduce production of the Taycan at its plant in Zuffenhausen.

The report said that Porsche is in talks with workers' representatives about restructuring Taycan production to a single-shift operation.

In addition to declining sales, another major reason for the reduction in Taycan production may have to do with the recent recalls.

In early July, Porsche announced a worldwide recall of all Taycan models sold, spanning from 2019 to 2024 and totaling more than 150,000 units.

Of those, 31,689 units are due for disposal in the U.S. alone, 11,860 are involved in Germany, and 17,278 are in China.

An announcement from China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) indicates that the recall is primarily due to a design defect.