More details are emerging about Porsche’s highly anticipated electric car, dubbed the Mission E.
Porsche’s chairman, Oliver Blume, told CAR Magazine the vehicle will go on sale by the end of 2019 and will be “priced like entry-level Panamera,” which begins at $85,000.
Previously, Porsche had only said that the Mission E would arrive by 2020 and hadn’t shared price details.
Porsche originally revealed the Mission E as a concept car at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 2015. At the time, the company revealed that it would have a range of more than 250 miles and include a number of other innovative technologies.
While the company has not yet revealed all of the high-tech features that will be included in the production model, the Mission E concept that was shown does give us a glimpse of what to expect in the final product.
Here's a look at some of the coolest features in the Mission E concept that could end up in the production version.
With two motors, the all-wheel-drive Mission E concept packs the equivalent of 600 horsepower.
The German automaker also plans to sell different variants of the electric vehicles with varying power outputs, according to an Autocar report published in March.
The Mission E concept can reach a top speed of 150 miles per hour and can go from zero to 62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. However, Tesla's Model S P100D can go from zero to 60 in just 2.5 seconds.
The car is completely powered by advanced lithium-ion battery technology. The underbody battery extends the full length of the car so that the weight is distributed equally.
Inductive charging tech enables the car to be charged in a unique way. To charge the vehicle, a user simply drivers over a charging base plate in a garage, and the battery begins repower automatically.
The battery can also be charged at a conventional charging station or at home via a cable. The charging port is hidden at the side of the front fender.
In just 15 minutes, the car can charge up to 80%, giving it a range of 250 miles. With a full charge, it can drive for up to 310 miles. Tesla's Model S with a 90 kWh battery has a range of 294 miles per charge, according to EPA ratings.
According to an Autocar report published in March, Blume said that the company is developing an 800v charging system that will give the production vehicle an 80% charge in just 15 minutes, the same as the concept vehicle.
The sports car features four seats and four doors that open in an entirely new way.
It does not have exterior mirrors. Instead, it has cameras that capture what is around the car and display it on the lower corner of the windshield. Users can also opt to have augmented safety information displayed in this area.
A driver can also control the car’s menu using built-in eye-tracking technology. A camera will detect where a driver is looking and detect what instrument on the dashboard the driver wants to open. The driver can then confirm its selection by pressing a button on the steering wheel.
The car's display also changes as the driver shifts position. So if the driver moves higher or lower in their seat, or leans to the side, the instruments displayed on the interface will move with the driver.
Porsche's chairman, Oliver Blume, told Autocar in March that the vehicle will be capable of over-the-air updates. This means that software updates can be rolled out wirelessly.
Source: Autocar