There is a lot of anticipation for Porsche's first fully electric vehicle, Mission E, with car enthusiasts touting it as a true Tesla rival. Now, the German automaker has revealed some of the technologies that will allow the electric sedan to differentiate itself from competitors.
According to Uwe Michael, head of the Electrics/Electronics Development division at Porsche, consumers have two main concerns when it comes to electric vehicles — range and charging times. Inadequacies in these areas deter most people's need for power and performance.
With this in mind, Porsche intends to double the capacity of its charging system — moving from 400 volts to 800 volts. Thus, Porsche's charging times will be twice as fast as what other electric vehicle makers currently offer. The Mission E, for example, will be able to attain a range of 249 miles after just 20 minutes of charging.
Apart from fast charging, Porsche also intends to make the experience more convenient for consumers. They will offer intelligent wall boxes for home use. Consumers will have different output options based on their needs, such as 3.6 kW that is suitable for a plug-in hybrid or 7.2 kW for drivers who want speed. For pure electric vehicles, available outputs will range from 11 kW to 22 kW.
As for the Mission E's battery, Porsche has partnered with Panasonic and LG to create lithium-ion batteries that will be able to provide an increase in range in the next couple of years. The automaker anticipates a five percent increase in efficiency each year which will then translate to more power for the electric vehicle.
Also, in order to integrate future technologies, such as autonomous driving, Porsche will be sending over-the-air updates to its vehicles.
For Porsche's first foray into the electric vehicle segment, the Mission E is expected to be quite a capable machine. With an electric powertrain delivers over 600 horsepower, the electric sedan will be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in less than 3.5 seconds and attain a top speed of 155 mph.
The Mission E will go on sale by the end of 2019 with a starting price of about $85,000.
