Porsche’s all-electric Mission E will be arriving state-side in 2019, and it’s planning on looking good while doing it.
The futuristic sedan will mark the first iteration of what the auto manufacturer is planning to make its focus over the next six years. The EV, which is priced very competitively with the new Tesla Model S, may help to give Porsche an edge in the electric car market.
Part two of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s three-part master plan was to build a luxury car, birthing the Model S. Despite being plagued with quality control issues, the Model S was still rapidly adopted by consumers who were eager to buy into the Tesla brand. Some wanted it for its limited environmental impact, others wanted it for the style, and a select few craved the raw, instant power behind the P100D.
Whatever reason, this was a key driving force behind the thriving electric car movement that’s well under way.
Porsche understood that in order to stay competitive in some countries, it would need to shift focus to creating a luxury electric car. After planning out a car that was both comfortable to drive while still maintaining the classic Porsche feel, it joined its parent company in fighting the war on Tesla and later announced its flagship electric car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015.
Promising an estimated 300 miles of range and a top speed of 155 miles per hour, the $85,000 Mission E fills the gap between the $70,000 Tesla Model S equipped with a 75 kWh battery, and the $99,000 100D. In fact, the Mission E boasts a slightly faster zero-to-60 time (3.5 seconds versus 4.1 seconds for the Model S), while only sacrificing about 35 miles of range.
One of the big selling points of the Mission E is just how advanced the car is. From gesture-based controls, to an interior filled with displays, it simply feels like a car from the future.
But the large bolstered seats in the front and rear, coupled with classic-themed bits (like the steering wheel) make the driver feel like he or she is driving a Porsche around the circuit. Tesla has gobs of its own advanced features, some of which seemingly pop up overnight, but it doesn’t quite have the same bite as Porsche’s execution of vehicle features.
With the Porsche brand being known for performance and luxury, the simple idea of an electric car might be enough to sway purists in the other direction. However, the same could be said for those skeptical of EVs as a whole. Could one of the oldest performance automakers on the market switching to electric be the kick they need to accept the future of automobiles?
Regardless of how Porsche spins it, the price point, range, performance, and ultra-fast charging all put the Mission E in a very similar category to the Model S. Its updated looks and niche features may be enough to sway some Tesla owners, and even those thinking about going electric, to make the jump to Porsche.