Porsche’s hottest product is so in-demand that the German automaker is being forced to ramp up production and bring more “staff” into the fold. A total of 1.5 million workers are now being brought in to Porsche’s Leipzig factory to help facilitate the company’s production of one of its most popular (and most unusual) products: honey.
We covered this back in December 2017 when news broke that Porsche was harvesting the honey from the bee colonies it set up around its Leipzig, Germany production facility. All told, Porsche was able to harvest 400 kilos of lime blossom honey, all of which ended up in jars at its customer shop under the “Turbienchen” name. Those jars ended up selling out in record time, so Porsche is now looking to double production, setting a target of producing 1,000 kilos of honey this year.
To get to that number, the company is introducing 25 more bee colonies, effectively doubling the bee population in its facility to around three million bees. The goal is to produce half a ton of honey for the rest of the year, an attainable number considering how many bees it’s now taking care of in its facility.
Beyond the goal of producing more honey, adding more bees under its care is part of Porsche’s goal to protect the German bee population, which remain at risk of extinction. Gerd Rupp, chairman of the executive board at Porsche Leipzig, said: "After successfully establishing the first colonies last year, this addition is yet more evidence of our commitment to preserving the animal and plant world. This year’s honey harvest will be available from the shop in our customer center this summer and will be called 'Turbienchen'. We expect to see a harvest of about 1,000 kg."
According to an infographic created by Porsche, each bee colony yields an average of 55 kilos of honey per year, equating to 110 jars of honey with an amount of 550 grams per jar. Supposing that the company now has 50 colonies of bees in its 40-hectare natural area for bees, that would compute to a potential 2,750 kilos of honey harvested in a span of one year. Porsche doesn’t expect to get to that total this year, but it could become a target down the road.
Regardless of how much it harvests this year, it looks Porsche has found another product goldmine.
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