Porsche Mission E 2019: everything we know so far

Porsche is gearing up to make its debut in the electric car market with a Tesla Model S-rivalling EV. 

Unlike Jaguar, whose entry into the electric realm took the form of the I-Pace SUV, the German carmaker’s EV will combine the practicality of a saloon car with the silhouette of a coupe.

The car is being dubbed the Mission E, which is derived from Porsche’s electric concept car that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015.

Autonomous features are also expected to appear on the car, says Autocar, but it won’t be able to completely drive itself. Instead, they will be used to improve the safety of the car.

More details are expected in the coming months. But here’s everything we know about the Mission E so far:

Design

The Mission E takes the form of a four-door saloon, although its styling will incorporate coupe design cues such as a low roofline that gradually slopes downwards at the rear.

The vehicle itself has appeared only in concept form or covered in testing camouflage, so fans won’t know what the final form of the car looks like until it appears next year.

What we do know, however, is that the Mission E will be built on a “bespoke” production platform designed exclusively for all the components needed for an electric car, says Evo.

Much like the current crop of battery-powered electric cars, the magazine says the Mission E’s batteries will be located on the floor: underneath the driver and passengers. This gives the car “an incredibly low centre of gravity”, which improves handling, and opens up more room for occupants in the cabin. 

Performance and range

You won’t find Porsche’s famous flat-six combustion engine in the back of the Mission E, as it will be available only in all-electric form.

But fans of the German car giant shouldn’t despair, as former Formula 1 driver and Porsche Le Mans racer Mark Webber recently confirmed in a video that the Mission E will be more than a match for the current crop of supercars on the market.

Webber confirmed that the car will have an all-wheel drive system, suggesting it will be powered by two electric motors (one on each axle), as well as the vehicle’s 562bhp power output. 

According to Autocar, the near-instant torque provided by the Mission E’s electric system should deliver a 0-62mph time of around 3.5sec. 

Charging the car will also be fast, the magazine says, as a new system developed for the Mission E allows the driver to fully charge the battery in just 15 minutes. However, there currently isn’t a charging station available to make use of the car’s ultra-fast charging socket.

The range, meanwhile, is being touted at 310 miles based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), says Electrek. 

However, the tech site argues that the NEDC system is “much more forgiving” than the US-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests and “doesn’t really reflect real-world range”. Therefore, a battery range of “more than 250 miles” is likely for the Mission E.

Price and release date

Although the Mission E shares the same “silhouette” as the Panamera saloon, Auto Express says the electric car will come with a cheaper price tag.

The EV will likely cost between £60,000 and £70,000, the magazine says, which puts it in direct competition with the Tesla Model S saloon. 

The Mission E is tipped to appear next year, with deliveries expected to take place towards the end of 2019 or early 2020.