Porsche Developing Battery, Hydrogen Systems for New Sedan

Porsche AG plans battery and fuel cell-powered versions of its upcoming "Pajun" midsize sedan, Autocar reports.

The new car will ride on an altered version of Volkswagen AG's MSB (modular standard platform) architecture. The same rear drive/all-wheel drive chassis will carry the next-generation Porsche Panamera sport sedan and Bentley ultra-luxury cars.

Porsche has hinted at the exterior design of the Pajun (short for Panamera Junior) in the Panamera Sport Turismo concept it unveiled at the Paris auto show in 2012. The car will compete with such models as the Audi A5 and BMW 5 Series.

Autocar culled details about the electrified versions of new car from patents filed last December in Germany, China and the U.S. The battery- and fuel-cell-powered models both will be driven by the same system of dual electric motors driving the rear wheels. The motors will be built into the chassis structure to contribute rigidity and impact protection.

The patents describe a rear "hollow portal axle" and step down gear mechanism for each wheel that allows the wheel to be "mounted in a non-rigid manner."

The patents also describe a front subframe fitted with a "supporting frame" with diagonal struts to help manage front crash energy. The EV's battery array will be fitted amidships between the front and rear axles. The battery's pouch cells will be fortified by "impact plates" that run latitudinally between the side rails to enhance side impact protection.

A limited-production fuel cell version would replace the battery with hydrogen tanks and mount a fuel cell between the front wheels.

Autocar predicts the battery-powered version of the Pajun will directly challenge the Tesla Model S EV with 420 hp and a U.S.-certified range of at least 265 miles. The magazine speculates the EV will debut in late 2017 or early 2018, followed by the fuel cell version.

Porsche also is developing its own inductive charging system for the battery-powered Pajun, according to Autocar . Such systems enable an EV to charge its battery by simply parking directly above a floor-mounted induction coil.