The first fully electric Porsche is on its way with the German car maker’s board giving the green light to its Mission E project.
PORSCHE ANNOUNCED IT will begin working on its first fully electric Porsche with its board giving approval to the Mission E project. Porsche is “beginning a new chapter in the history of the sports car,” said Dr Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board. The vehicle is expected to be launched by 2020.
Porsche said the push into full electric technology has seen the creation of 1000 new positions and a 700 million euro investment in its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant. “Over the next few years, a new paint shop and a new assembly plant will be built. The existing engine factory is also being expanded for the production of electric motors. In addition, the existing body shop is being enlarged. On top of that come other areas in which the company will be investing in this context, such as in the Weissach development centre,” Porsche said in a statement.
The Mission E concept was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September. The four-door car with four individual seats offers up to 440kW of oomph. It’ll sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3.5 seconds and has a driving range of more than 500 kilometres. It can be charged via an 800-volt charger unit specially developed for the car, which is allegedly “twice as powerful as today’s quick-charge systems”, the lithium-ion batteries integrated within the vehicle floor have enough power again for 80% of the range after just 15 minutes. The vehicle can optionally be ‘refuelled’ wirelessly by induction via a coil set into the garage floor in the same way new luxury cars are introducing wireless mobile phone charging.
Uwe Hück, Chairman of the Central Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Porsche AG Supervisory Board said: “A day to celebrate! Yes, we did it! We brought Mission E to Zuffenhausen and Weissach where the future has tradition. The workers’ side made the employer’s side an offer that they couldn’t refuse. This heralds the dawn of a new age in Zuffenhausen and Weissach. Digitalisation will be growing up with us. And Factory 4.0 will be a major challenge for the workforce, trade union and employer. We will be taking new approaches but not giving up on the social aspects. With today’s decision, Porsche is driving flat out with no speed restrictions into the automotive and industrial future.”
