Michael Satterfield
The first 100% electrically powered Porsche is on its way. The supervisory board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG today gave the green light for the Mission E project. In the words of Dr. Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board, Porsche is thus “beginning a new chapter in the history of the sports car.” The vehicle is due to be launched at the end of the decade.
With the Mission E project, Porsche is continuing to back sustainable growth. In Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen alone, more than 1,000 new jobs are being created. The company will be investing around 700 million euros in its main site there. 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 to produce 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 center.
The Mission E concept car celebrated its premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in September. Visitors were gripped, above all, by its highly emotional design. Living up to the buzzword of ‘E-Performance’, the technological trailblazer combines outstanding driving performance with trendsetting day-to-day practicality. The four-door car with four individual seats has a system power output of over 600 hp (440 kW). The vehicle will thus achieve both accelerations of 0 to 100 km/h in under 3.5 seconds and a range of more than 500 kilometers. Charged via an 800-volt charger unit specially developed for the car, which is twice as powerful as today’s quick-charge systems, the lithium-ion batteries integrated within the vehicle floor have enough power again for 80 percent of the range after just 15 minutes. The vehicle can be ‘refueled’ wirelessly by induction via a coil set into the garage floor.
Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG: “With Mission E, we are making a clear statement about the brand’s future. Even in a changing motoring world, Porsche will maintain its front-row position with this fascinating sports car.”
Chairman of the Porsche Executive Board, Dr. Oliver Blume: “We are resolutely taking on the challenge of electric mobility. Even with solely battery-powered sports cars, Porsche remains true to its philosophy and offers our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment.” Blume added that the E Mission project underlines the importance of Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen as a production site, of Baden-Württemberg as a center of technology, and of the whole German automotive industry.
Uwe Hück, Chairman of the Central Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Porsche AG Supervisory Board: “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. Digitalization will be growing up with us. Factory 4.0 will be a major challenge for the workforce, trade unions, and employers. 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.”
