Porsche Mission E release date, specs news: Tesla Model S rival to come with three powertrain options

More details about the Porsche Mission E have been revealed ahead of its official debut next year. The upcoming electric sedan will reportedly come with three variants and pricing that will make it a direct competitor of the Tesla Model S.

Sources have told Automobile that Porsche's first fully electric vehicle, Mission E, will be available with three powertrain options — producing 402, 536 and 670 horsepower, respectively. All models with come standard with an all-wheel drive and a two-speed transmission. An entry-level rear-wheel-drive model may also be offered at a later date.

The Porsche Mission E is powered by two electric motors. According to the publication, front unit delivers 215 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque — but is able to go up to 325 pound-feet of torque during full boost. Meanwhile, there are two different specifications in development for the rear unit — one yields 322 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque while the other produces 429 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

In terms of performance, the top-end Mission E will reportedly be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in around 3.5 seconds and attain a top speed of 155 mph. The electric sport sedan will be able to provide about 300 miles of driving range on a single charge. With a fast-charging capability, the vehicle's batteries can be recharged to about 80 percent in just 20 minutes.

Upon its launch, the Porsche Mission E will sit in between the Cayenne and Panamera. Despite being smaller than the latter, the electric sedan will be able to provide the same amount of cabin space.

"The production version is in essence a C-segment sedan with an almost D-size interior. Visually, the car combines 911 overtones with fresh proportions and very good space utilization even though the Mission E is notably more compact than the Panamera," Mission E project leader Stefan Weckbach told Automobile during a test drive of the electric sedan prototype.

Porsche's upcoming electric sedan will have a starting price of about $75,000 to $80,00, making it competitive with the entry-level Model S. Porsche has been clear about its plan for the Mission E to compete with the Tesla vehicle. The former was even previously spotted being benchmarked against Tesla vehicles.

The Porsche Mission E is expected to make its official debut in 2019 as a 2020 model.

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