The all-electric Porsche Mission E sedan is set to be offered in a wide range of variants and could sport Level 4 autonomous driving technology. This is according to Oliver Blume who spilled a few juicy details on the upcoming and real Tesla Model S killer.
During the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Oliver Blume, Porsche Chairman, spoke with AutoCar and said:" The Mission E will sit in the segment below the Panamera." He added that the company's first full-electric sedan will offer a 311-mile electric range or 500 km with only 15 minutes of charge time.
He noted that there will be more than one model with different power levels. This means that Porsche is coming up with a model lineup with differing performance much similar to their approach with their 718 Boxster/Cayman, 911, Macan, Cayenne and Panamera model ranges. This is also similar with Tesla offering smaller and larger batteries for its Model S models.
The all-electric Porsche Mission E was first revealed in 2015 in concept form in Frankfurt. The German automaker claims that it can sprint 0 to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds, with 590 horses.
Now, additional information from the Chairman also suggests that the all-electric vehicle could receive software that will allow over-the-air updates. This is similar to Tesla's updates with the Model S, which the company pioneered in. "It will be possible to work with over-the-air options," said Oliver Blume.
Meanwhile, Level 4 autonomous driving is also on the table. "It isn't decided yet, but it could be possible to charge up with more power. For example, when you have 400bhp, it could be possible to upgrade to 450bhp," added Blume.
According to Digital Trends, the all-electric Porsche Mission E sedan could be equipped with the Level 4 autonomous driving functionality, wherein no driver attention is needed. "There are situations in traffic jams where you will be able to read a newspaper, but our customers take pleasure from driving and this will remain," he explained.
As regards to charging, the all-electric Porsche will utilize the 800v charging that was used on the concept version. This might be co-developed with Hitachi, although exact details are not yet available as of this writing. This allows the all-electric Porsche Mission E to achieve a desired 80 percent charge in just 15 minutes, which is much quicker compared with Tesla's supercharging system.
Production for the all-electric Porsche Mission E could be around the middle to late 2019 as testing could begin this summer, being part of a 2-year development phase. If this vehicle really is equipped with what Blume pointed out, then this will be a game changer in the all-electric market segment. But you would also take into consideration the price range. We will keep you updated for additional details on this. Stay tuned.
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