Porsche changes mind on EVs

Porsche once claimed all-electric powertrains didn’t offer enough performance to reach the level its customers expect.

As work on its first all-electric vehicle progresses, Porsche is changing that view. Chief executive officer Oliver Blume now says he expects half of Porsche’s production to be electric by 2023, reports Electrek.

The Mission E is due to begin production in 2019. A second all-electric vehicle based on the Macan is now planned.

Last year, Blume said Porsche planned an annual production of 20,000 units for the Mission E. But in a surprising move, he now says that between the two vehicles, Porsche is preparing for a capacity of 60,000 cars annually at its Zuffenhausen plant.

It’s a significant volume for the German automaker considering it delivered just over 230,000 vehicles worldwide last year across its entire line-up.

The capacity would quickly make electric vehicles an important part of its overall production. It explains why Blume now sees Porsche reaching 50% of total production as soon as 2023, much sooner than any established automaker.

The Mission E is to have over 500 kilometres of range on a single charge, which means that in real-world range it should have around 400kms.

Porsche is also aiming for a 0 to 96.5kmh acceleration in 3.5 seconds and that the Mission E will be equipped with an 800-volt charging system able to charge up to 80% in about 15 minutes.

Pricing isn’t known.