Porsche Mission E gets green light 05 | 12 | 2015
PORSCHE HAS CONFIRMED it will produce the all-electric Mission E: the car is set to go head-to-head with the Tesla Model S when it arrives in showrooms around 2020.
First revealed at September's Frankfurt Motor Show as a concept, Mission E has been given the green light for production by Porsche's supervisory board. Chairman of the executive board Dr Oliver Blume said the company is "beginning a new chapter in the history of the sports car" with the launch of the Mission E, which will create more than 1000 jobs at Porsche's Stuttgart HQ.
"We are resolutely taking on the challenge of electric mobility," Blume said. "Even with solely battery-powered sports cars, Porsche is remaining true to its philosophy and offering our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment."
In addition to a €700 million investment — which will see the creation of anew assembly plant and paint shop — the factory's existing engine shop is being expanded to produce electric motors alongside combustion engines.
Though the Mission E name is unlikely to follow the car to production, the all-electric car is intended to "combine outstanding driving performance with trendsetting day-to-day practicality."
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Garnering energy storage know-how first seen in the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid race car, the four-door, four-seat model will also benefit from lightweight construction and battery technology from the 918 Spyder.
The Mission E concept boasted power sourced from two electric motors, one mounted up front acting on the front axle and one at the rear providing drive to the rear wheels.
The result? An impressive 592bhp, which Porsche says will catapult the Mission E from standstill to 62mph in less than 3.5 seconds. That would make it quicker than a 911. Impressively, Porsche say the Mission E has an all-electric range of more than 310 miles.
Its main rival, the Tesla Model S generates 682bhp from its dual electric motors, and hits 62mph in 3.2 seconds.
Weighing 2000kg, Mission E features a liquid-cooled battery mounted low in the floor, something Porsche says allows it to provide the Mission E with a low centre of gravity similar to that of the 918 Spyder.
Mission E also sits on a bespoke platform — which rules out any option of hybrid or combustion-engined variants — specifically built around its electric drive system. The platform features a floorpan made from aluminium, high-strength steel and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
As for recharging, Porsche also introduced a revolutionary 800-volt charger unit capable of re-charging the Mission E's lithium-ion batteries to 80% of capacity — enough to provide 249 miles of range — in just 15 minutes.
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Jim McGill