Mission E: What We Know So Far
Here’s everything you need to know about the future of electrified Porsche performance – the Mission E.
The future, as they say, is electric. And while every automaker on the planet moves toward hybrid electric power, only one has produced an all-electric vehicle worthy of performance enthusiasts. But Tesla will soon have some competition on their hands in the form of the Porsche Mission E. Set to enter production by 2020, the Mission E brings with it some very lofty expectations. Here’s everything we know about the future halo of Porsche E-Performance.
How fast will it be?
Obviously, speed is an important factor for the Mission E even though its an all-electric car. Much of Tesla’s success, other than building viable cars with real world range, hinges on their formidable performance. As of right now, it doesn’t appear that the Porsche will be breaking Tesla’s recent 0-60 record of 2.8 seconds, but it will be fast.
A pair of electric motors delivers 600 total horsepower, good enough for an estimated sub 3.5 second 0-62 mph run. The Mission E tops out at 155 miles per hour, which equals the new Tesla Model S P90D. And Porsche claims that the car will lap the legendary Nürburgring is less than 8 minutes.
What kind of range can we expect?
Range anxiety is easily the biggest obstacle for automakers when it comes to electric vehicles. But the Mission E will go 310 miles on a full charge, which is right in line with the new Tesla Model S P1000D’s 315 mile range. But unlike the Tesla, the Porsche can charge to 80% in just 15 minutes, providing a quick 250 miles of range. Tesla’s Supercharger takes 30 minutes to add 170 miles of range.
The fast charge comes courtesy of an 800-volt conceptual system in the Porsche, which bests the 480-volt system Tesla uses. And the charging port, which is hidden inside the driver’s side front fender, can be charged at home or on the go. Thanks to the Porsche’s inductive charging tech, owners don’t even have to plug it in. They simply drive over a charging plate and the battery automatically begins to recharge.
What other sorts of cool tech and features can we expect?
The Mission E, like the Panamera, is a four-door sedan. But the rear doors open suicide-style, and there is no pillar in between the front and rear passengers. There are also no external mirrors. Cameras display an image of everything around the car on the lower driver’s side corner of the windshield. Alternatively, the driver can use that area to display safety information.
The car’s menu and various instrument panel controls can also be controlled using eye-tracking technology. A camera detects where the driver is looking and anticipates what they want to open. The driver then confirms the selection by pressing a button on the steering wheel. And the display moves with the driver no matter where they position their body.
How much will it cost?
An entry-level Tesla Model S 60 bases out at $68,000, but it can’t touch the Mission E in terms of features, power, or range. The only real competition for the Porsche right now is the Model S P1000D, which carries a base price of $134,500. But it’s hard to believe that Porsche would sell the Mission E, a range-topping model, that cheaply. If the Mission E is intended to slot above the Panamera, which it obviously is, then we should expect it to top the $184,000 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
Will it be successful?
Porsche sure seems to think so, estimating that it will sell 20,000 Mission E’s a year. While it’s hard to fathom that anyone would pay a $50-$60,000 premium for a car that’s slower than a Tesla, the Porsche brand carries its own weight here. Plus, if just even a couple of the concept car’s unique features make it to production, the Mission E will truly be in a league of its own. And there’s plenty of time for Porsche to squeeze a little more performance out of the car before 2020.
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