Porsche Is Officially Putting The Mission E Into Production

When the Mission E concept was first revealed three months ago, its bold, futuristic styling divided opinion. There’s one thing that can’t be denied, however, and that’s the fact that Porsche’s first 100 per cent electrically-powered vehicle will shake up the EV status quo, because it has officially been given the green light for production.

Much like when Porsche introduced the Cayenne, it is again showing that it’s not afraid to deviate from its own path if it believes in the product. But for those of you concerned that the German manufacturer is slipping ever further from the kind of performance cars we know and love it for, fear not, because this thing is going to be fast thanks to 590bhp and a 0-62mph time of around 3.5 seconds.

Judging by comments from Porsche, this won’t be just a straight line hero, either. According to Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG: “With Mission E, we are making a clear statement about the future of the brand. Even in a greatly changing motoring world, Porsche will maintain its front-row position with this fascinating sports car.” The words sports car are important here; for the manufacturer responsible for one of the greatest sports cars of all time to use such words to describe its new electric four-door saloon makes a bold statement about the new car’s credentials.

We’re excited to see if it can live up to that moniker, as it would give the Mission E a distinct advantage over the Tesla Model S. While the American car has ludicrous straight line pace, it’s not the most enjoyable or capable car in corners.

Chairman of the Porsche Executive Board, Dr. Oliver Blume, said “Porsche is remaining true to its philosophy and offering our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment.” We’ve covered sporty, so where does the technological advancement come from?

Most prominently, from the 800-volt charger unit, it’s twice as powerful as chargers used by current rivals, giving the Mission E much faster charging times and less weight. The car can be charged to 80 per cent of its 310-mile range in just 15 minutes, and you’ll be able to fit a wireless induction coil set into your garage floor for effortless charging whenever your car’s parked at home.

Another interesting aspect of the Mission E is that it uses technology taken from Porsche’s 919 Hybrid. It features two ‘permanently-excited synchronous motors’ that both accelerate the car and recover energy. Porsche claims that this is better than electric motor systems currently on the market, as they can take more abuse without performance being affected.

In order to make space for Mission E production, Porsche is investing €700m (£504m, $762m) into its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen factory. Amongst upgrades across the facility, the engine factory will be expanded to incorporate the production of the new electric motors.

News of the Mission E’s production comes as something of a surprise, after Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller claimed that any projects that were “not absolutely necessary” would be cut, following the Dieselgate scandal. That being said, at a time when the Group needs to reaffirm its green credentials, perhaps an exciting electric vehicle is exactly what it needs.