Late last year, Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer conceded that Tesla’s Model S — with its incredible performance and high-tech gadgetry — likely lured away prospective buyers who might have otherwise invested in a Porsche.
“We have lots of respect for Tesla,” Zellmer opined, “and, yes, I’m sure there are some Porsche customers, that in terms of connectivity, digital stuff in the car and electric battery in the vehicles, didn’t find the car that they wanted with Porsche so they bought somewhere else.”
Porsche, though, isn’t just going to stand idly by and let Tesla have all the fun. Far from it, the company has been working tirelessly on the Mission E, an all-electric sports car that may give the Model S a run for its money across a few performance metrics. What’s more, Porsche seems more willing to take subtle and even overt jabs at Tesla with each passing month.
As a prime example, Porsche’s Stefan Weckbach — who currently oversees the company’s battery development — recently sat down for an interview to discuss the Mission E. When asked about a US auto manufacturer with a car that can go from 0-60 MPH in less than three seconds — an obvious reference to Tesla — Weckbach seemed less than impressed.
But only twice – the third attempt will fail. The system is throttled. Porsche drivers won’t need to worry about anything like that happening.
Moreover, Weckbach noted that the Mission E will be able to maintain a high-speed for longer duration than the Model S.
The Mission E will offer reproducible performance and a top speed which can be maintained for long periods. And that’s not all. The longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the Mission E will be typical of a Porsche and represent a real treat for any driver.
As for other metrics worth noting, Porsche’s forthcoming Mission E — which is big enough to seat 5 people — will be able to charge up to a range of nearly 250 miles in less than 20 seconds. Speed wise, the Mission E will boast a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, a top speed above 155 MPH, and 310 miles on a single charge. Assuming development and production remain on schedule, Porsche is planning to start selling the Mission E in 2019.
