Going head-to-head with the Tesla S, the Porsche Mission E will hit showrooms in 2020 and, says Porsche’s Chairman of the executive board, Dr Oliver Blume, “it is the beginning a new chapter in the history of the sports car.”
Dr Blume hasn’t disclosed what the production car will be named – it’s certainly not going to be Mission E – but we do know that it will feature energy storage tech from the company’s Le Mans and World Endurance Championship-winning 919 Hybrid sports prototype, as well as lightweight construction and battery technology from the 918 Spyder.
It will be built on an all-new platform designed specifically around its electric drive system. The floorpan is constructed of aluminium, high-strength steel and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, and also features a revolutionary 800-volt charger unit that can re-charge its lithium-ion batteries to 80% of capacity in a mere 15 minutes providing it with around 400 km of range. Mission E will weigh in at around 2 000 kg.
The drivetrain will consist of two electric motors with a combined output of 441 kW – one will provide power to the front front axle and one to the the rear wheels. They are powered by a liquid-cooled battery mounted low in the floor, also giving it a low centre of gravity similar to that of the 918 Spyder.
A range will be around 500 km should ease any range-anxiety concerns and Porsche is talking a 0-100 km/h of under 3.5 seconds.