Porsche Mission E Will Annihilate Tesla and Leave You Speechless
Porsche just shocked the automotive world with the Frankfurt unveiling of its electrifying 600hp, Tesla rivalling four-door, four seat saloon concept. It’s a model that’ll slot just below the Panamera and could even prise buyers away from the BMW 5-series, reasonable price permitting.
Rumours of an all-electric Porsche have been circling for some time now, but what wasn’t expected is a full-on Tesla rivalling high performance vehicle that’s capable of a dash to 60 in less than 3.5 seconds and goes on to 125mph in just 12 seconds
This all sounds rather impressive, in fact it is. However, a worry for potential buyers could be range anxiety, after all it’s not like a petrol or diesel powered vehicle that can be refuelled at your average motorway service station or supermarket garage. However, by utilising a 600-volt system, the Mission E can deliver a single charge range of 310 miles, Porsche have all but removed any risk of such anxiety creeping into the minds of potential buyers.
The charge is something that can be delivered by a number of different means, firstly the concept can make use of the Porsche developed Turbo Charging system, which can fill the battery to 80 per cent of its capacity in a mere 15 minutes. Incidentally, the Mission E is just one of a massive 30 new electric and plug-in vehicles that the wider Volkswagen group are aiming to enter production with by the year 2020.
Back to Porsche and the idea of a fully-electric vehicle in any form is a hugely ambitious one, especially when you consider the fact that the marque is synonymous with high-performance rear-mounted flat-six petrol powerhouses.
However, its ability to deliver is aided by knowledge gained in the development of the powertrain and energy storage facility used by the marques 919 hybrid race car, a LeMans championship winner that bares close similarities to that of the Mission E. On top of that there’s the 918 Spyder hypercar, another Porsche built hybrid that’s proved to be a huge success, this time not on the racetrack, but with cash in hand buyers.
From the outside, the Porsche Mission E is an absolute looker, every curve, line and couture has been cleverly conceived. It’s sleek and stylish with an unmistakable presence, one that’s not be ruined by a pair of tradition wing mirrors, instead there’s a duo of cleverly concealed miniature cameras that live stream footage to the cabin.
Step inside for a second, via a set of counter opening doors, and you’ll be greeted with an interior that can only be likened to that of an interplanetary exploration module. Essentially it’s a clean and minimalist space. Impressively, upon first sight there’s no sign of any dials or speedometer, however, these are revealed with the activation of a curved OLED display.
Even more impressive is the fact that the Mission E has 3D-eye tracking capabilities. This enables the system to track your head movements and adjust the on screen displays accordingly to ensure they’re always within view, no steering wheel spokes getting in the way here.
The driver side is also equipped with some seriously sci-fi technology, this time in the form of a holographic display, yeah you read that right. The display is comprised of a series of applications that can be individually selected move across the display and operated via a series of gesture controls, to you and me that’s hand movements.
Also notable is the fact that the all-electric Porsche Mission E can be configured via compatible smart phone or tablet device and to a limited extent controlled.
As for a price, the truth is there isn’t one, although a full on production model will happen by the end of the decade, we’re probably a couple of years or so away from any pricing information. However, one things for sure, it won’t be cheap, not a chance.
