The styling of Porsche's Mission E prototype has divided opinion, but the technology under that sweeping, futuristic body is undeniably impressive.
What makes the Mission E so unique is its 800 volt electric propulsion unit – that's double the voltage of other electric vehicles on the market.
The high voltage enables the Mission E to charge faster. And because it uses thinner copper charge cables, it weighs less too.
In terms of practical usage, the Mission E is something of a game-changer: it can charge to 80 per cent capacity in just 15 minutes – which equates to 250 miles of driving. However, such fast charge times are dependent on the use of an 800 volt charger (domestic European sockets manage just 240v).
A full charge will allow 300 miles of driving – enough to drive from Newcastle to London and still have charge left.
The 800 volt battery uses “permanent magnet synchronous motors”, one set for both front and rear wheels. In total, these develop 600bhp.
But how has Porsche – traditionally a petrol engine focussed firm – developed such an advanced electric unit? In short, it’s a trickle-down technology from the firm's 919 Hybrid race cars, which came first and second in the 24 Hour Le Mans endurance race this summer.
While Porsche has said nothing about actually building the Mission E, it would provide a serious competitor to Tesla's Model S, which has a range of between 240 and 270 miles.
And while range and charge times on the Mission E are superior to the Tesla's, the California firm's P85D variant delivers 762bhp – that’s 162bhp more than the Mission E.
But if Porsche can up the Mission E's horsepower, Elon Musk’s outfit could get jittery.
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