Porsche Predicts 20K Sales for Upcoming Electric Supercar

Porsche AG tells Automobilwoche it expects its upcoming Mission E electric sports car will attract about 20,000 customers when it goes on sale in 2019. The company approved the €1 billion program a year ago.

Porsche showed the Mission E in concept form at last year’s Frankfurt auto show. The 600-hp four-seater (with rear-hinged doors for the second row) can zoom from zero to 100 kph in less than 3.5 seconds, reach 200 kph (124 mph) in less than 12 seconds and travel 500 km (310 miles) per charge on the European driving cycle.

The car will be built for an 800-volt charging system, twice the power of today’s quick-charge systems. The technology will enable the car’s lithium-ion battery to be recharged to 80% of capacity in as little as 15 minutes. The battery is mounted under the floor between the front and rear axles to ensure an extremely low center of gravity.

Owners also will be able to top up the battery at a more leisurely pace with a built-in inductive charging system simply by parking over a coil embedded in the garage floor.

The all-wheel-drive car will feature two electric motors that provide acceleration and convert kinetic energy during deceleration to help replenish the battery. All-wheel steering gives the vehicle racecar-like response, according to the company. Vehicle weight is reduced with carbon-fiber wheels and a body made of aluminum, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and high-strength steel.

Porsche plans to build the Mission E, including its electric motors, in Stuttgart, Germany.