Porsche’s Mission E to get own supercharger network

Porsche's upcoming Mission E, targeted at the rich and environmentally conscious, aims to replace Tesla's Model S, starting in 2019 or 2020. The four-door five-seater will zoom from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds, and make 310 miles on a single charge. It shares the low-profile, swooping roof of the Porsche design classic, a Panamera-like rear, and sharp headlights tucked into the front fenders. However, even Porsche owners are not immune to the worries of range anxiety.

Today, Porsche revealed its plan to tackle that fear - Mission E drivers will get an extra perk: the ability to add 250 miles of range to their battery in 20 minutes, at a new network of charging stations.

"It's different because it's a Porsche."

''One of our priorities will be to equip our 189 dealerships with 800-volt DC fast-chargers,'' says Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America.

According to commentators, future cars will be able to charge much faster, which could be one way to get people switch to electric. But these would work only if the charging networks can keep up. For high-mileage drivers, or people who do not have a garage to charge in at home, that infrastructure is becoming a key selling point.

According to Stefan Weckbach, head of battery electric vehicles at Porsche, the Mission E will feel like a real Porsche, even if there is no internal combustion engine. "The most fascinating thing about this project has been the team spirit and enthusiasm which has infected the entire organisation. The entire company is working towards a single goal: with Mission E, we will offer a fully electric Porsche which is a perfect fit for our brand, finds approval with our customers, and rightfully bears the name 'Porsche,'" arstechnica.com quoted him as saying.

"Regardless of the powertrain, many of the challenges remain the same. Exterior, interior, chassis, brakes, and so on. This is where the body of Porsche expertise, accumulated over decades, comes into play. And our policy is to develop new electronic architectures, screens, head-up displays, over-the-air functions or digital services for all the model lines at once wherever reasonable, regardless of the powertrain type," Weckbach said.