in a few years , when we remember the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, we will certainly remember the pledges of “eternal love” made by brands to electrical solutions.
The main builders started this relationship for many years, but it is only now that the first signs of true commitment are beginning to appear. It's not just teenage promises anymore.
The electrical solutions have finally reached a level of maturity sufficient for the world's builders to start looking with “another eye” to 100% electric vehicles. There are finally concrete dates and goals on the table.
Are you worried about the Porsche 911? Go straight to the end of the article before you have a heart attack.
teenage dating
Porsche was one of the brands that reaffirmed this commitment to 100% electric cars. But we can mention other manufacturers like Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even the “small” Smart.
Oliver Blume, Chairman of Porsche, stated that in 2023 the brand's objective is that 50% of Porsches produced are 100% electric. The first model of this offensive will be the Porsche Mission E, which arrives on the market as early as 2019 and will have an approximate price of the base version of the Porsche Panamera.
For Porsche, it's a return to a teenage relationship. The first Porsche in history was actually a 100% electric vehicle – a story we promise to come back to soon.
It's almost ready
In aesthetic terms, Oliver Blume is categorical. “We've already finished the design. The production version of the Porsche Mission E is very close to the concept presented a few years ago [2015] ”, he told Car Magazine.
Inside, the differences should be more noticeable compared to the concept. Hopefully, the Mission E will be responsible for debuting some of Porsche's next-generation infotainment technologies: a more advanced gesture control system and even holograms. We'll see…
Mission E performances
In terms of price, we've already seen that the Mission E will match the Panamera. And as for performance, do you have arguments?
As for performance, Porsche speaks in less than 3.5 seconds from 0-100 km/h and less than 12 seconds from 0-200km/h. The speed will be over 250 km/h. Good arguments, don't you think?
In terms of engines, the Porsche Mission E will use two electric machines (one per axle), thus offering all-wheel drive. The Porsche 911 will inherit the four-wheel steering system for dynamic “Porsche-style” handling.
To help lower the center of gravity the batteries are located at the base of the chassis. There will be several versions of the Porsche Mission E: S, GTS, etc. Okay… it's a Porsche.
Charge times worthy of Le Mans
We don't know if it was small talk or not, but some time ago Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller said that “without the Porsche 919 sports program, we would not have developed the Mission E so quickly”.
Assuming it's true (makes sense…), it was thanks to its Le Mans program that the brand managed to boost its knowledge in terms of electrical solutions. According to the brand, the Mission E will be able to charge the batteries for 400 km (80% of the total charge) in just 1/4 of an hour. The total autonomy will be 500 km.
The Panamera in bad shape?
With these technical specifications and such a competitive price, is this the end of Panamera? Porsche says no and they usually know what they're talking about.
The Mission E will serve as a link between the 911 and the Panamera, filling an empty space that currently exists in the German manufacturer's range. It will therefore offer a commitment to performance, space and comfort between these two models. We'll see.
more electric
As we mentioned earlier, by 2023 Porsche wants 50% of its models to be 100% electric. A goal that can only be achieved if the brand's best-selling model has an electric variant.We are talking about the Porsche Macan. With over 100,000 units/year, the Porsche Macan has been one of the brand's "golden egg chickens". Blume doesn't rule out the possibility that until then, the Porsche Macan will have a 100% electric range. Goodbye combustion engines!
And the Porsche 911?
We talked about the Porsche 911 in last place because we wanted them to suffer – then, in a conscience rebuttal, we put that note at the beginning.
Well then, you can wipe the sweat off your mustache: the Porsche 911 will continue to have a gasoline-based diet. August Achleitner, responsible for developing the 911, has said that this model will remain true to its roots. That is, the «flat-six» engine is safe.
However, there is conflicting information as to whether the Porsche 911 will have a hybrid version. There are those who say that there will be a 911 Hybrid, there are those who say that this is not in the brand's plans for the next generation of 911.
One thing is certain: the next 911 will be mild-hybrid. In other words, it will have electrical solutions to improve the efficiency of the combustion engine.
In mild-hybrid cars, electrical systems such as power steering, air conditioning, braking, etc., are no longer dependent on the combustion engine and become the responsibility of a 48V electrical system.
Luckily we will be able to continue to scare the “hangs” above 5,000 rpm.
And now, calmer?