Tesla’s electric cars could soon have a rival as Porsche continues its efforts to develop electric and hybrid cars.
Porsche’s sales chief has hinted at a possible hybrid version of the celebrated 911, along with electric versions of other Porsche models.
The Volkswagen-owned company has already been working on its Mission E project for some time, which will see an electric car capable of being charged to 80% in 15 minutes go into production by 2020.
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Now, as Reuters reports, sales chief Detlev von Platen has discussed the firm’s future beyond Mission E, suggesting we could see more electric vehicles from Porsche in the near future.
“We have other ideas beyond the Mission E,” he told Reuters at the Geneva auto show, before mentioning the compact SUV Macan model as a possible candidate for an electric overhaul.
The Mission E concept car
Von Platen also suggested hybrid versions of the iconic 911 and Boxster/Cayman sports cars, that use both petrol and electric power, could appear in the future.
VW has plans to launch more than 30 new electric vehicles by 2025, and Porsche is the second biggest contributor to VW’s overall profit, so there’s certainly scope for the firm to introduce a range of electric vehicles.
Back in 2015, Porsche showed off its 600 horsepower Mission E concept car in Frankfurt, which is capable of reaching 0-100kmph (62mph) in 3.5 seconds.
That’s faster than the 911 (4.2 seconds), and is an impressive stat considerig the car also has a range of 500km on a single charge (Tesla’s Model S sedan can go 528km on a single charge).
For now, there’s nothing in the way of concrete details surrounding a hybrid Porsche 911, or electric Macan, but Porsche certainly looks as though it could become a big Tesla rival in the coming decade, so stay tuned for more.
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Let us know what you think of Porsche’s plans in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
