Porsche Plans US Fast Charger Network To Support Mission E Electric Performance Sedan

The era of electric vehicles may one day arrive in earnest, especially with some automakers pushing out performance oriented sports cars that run on batteries. Porsche is one of them. The company is prepping its Mission E for launch, and like Tesla's Model S, it is an intriguing vehicle. Stefan Weckbach, the guy in charge of Porsche's EV efforts, spoke in an interview about the Mission E and what's in store.

One thing Weckbach said is that Porsche is not likely to devote resources to developing technologies that simulate the throaty sounds of muscle cars that run on gasoline.

"Porsche is unlikely to lower itself to gimmicks of this kind or use sound effects," Weckbach said, according to Autoblog. Somewhat confusingly, Weckbach said that any sounds coming from the Mission E would instead enhance the "emotional factor" and incorporate "a clear reference to the technology." Electric vehicles are known for being rather quiet, however, so we're not sure where the emotional factor will come into play.


Weckback also took a jab at Tesla in the EV space. When it was brought up that Tesla's been able to go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in less than 3 seconds, Weckback pointed out that it happened "only twice," adding that "the third attempt will fail. The system is throttled." He also said that will not be a concern for Porsche drivers because the company's engineers are developing the Mission E with "reproducible performance" in mind, along with a "top speed which can be maintained for long periods."

The Mission E is a four-door performance vehicle with a system power output of over 600 hp (440 kW). According to Porsche, it can achieve similar acceleration (0 to 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds) and has a range of over 500 kilometers (~310.7 miles). Porsche designed a special 800-volt charger for the car, which the company says is twice as powerful as today's quick-charge systems. It can also be juiced up wirelessly by induction via a coil set into the garage floor.

What this also means is a need to put a charging infrastructure in place. Porsche plans to put charging ports in all of its 189 dealerships in the US, along with its Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles. It's also working with Electrify America, which is funded by the Volkswagen Group, to implement nearly 5,000 chargers across the nation.

Thumbnail and Article Images Source: Porsche