Porsche Throws The EV Gauntlet, Tests The Mission E Against A Tesla Model S And Model X

The mass-market, performance-grade EV industry has been dominated by Tesla for the past few years. With electric vehicles like the Model S and the Model X becoming a huge hit for consumers, Tesla has been mostly unchallenged when it comes to manufacturing vehicles that can perform on par with supercars at a price that is somewhat affordable. That is, of course, until Porsche decided to develop the Mission E.

According to a Motor Trend report, the Porsche Mission E was recently spotted in the streets of Germany. Interestingly, the Porsche EV was being driven alongside a Tesla Model S and Model X, leading many green car enthusiasts to believe that the German car was being tested against its American competitors.

While the Mission E might be Porsche’s first real initiative to introduce a mass-market, midrange electric sedan to the market, the German carmaker has actually gained a lot of experience with green vehicles over the years. Its hybrid cars, such as the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, after all, are considered as some of the best in the automotive world.

It is this expertise that Porsche would be bringing to the Mission E, and as could be seen in the recent sighting, it seems like the German carmaker is making sure that its first real entry into the midrange EV market would be a success. Simply put, the Mission E, at least in its current iteration, looks almost ready for production, and it is simply stunning.

While the upcoming vehicles that were recently spotted in Germany did not look as futuristic as the initial Mission E concept, the EVs look remarkable nonetheless. The overall profile of the Mission E looks very similar to its concept form, though its headlights, B-pillar, charge port door, and front fascia look very similar to other production models from the carmaker’s lineup. Overall, the current design of the Mission E looks a lot like a Porsche, and that’s a pretty good thing.

The Porsche Mission E has been dubbed the Model S killer, and for a good reason. The EV, which was recently seen in the wild, is expected to bring the automotive mastery of a company like Porsche to the electric car market. What’s more, the Mission E also seems to be specifically designed to take down the Model S, matching the iconic green car in terms of performance and features, according to a report from Engadget.

The Mission E, at least when it was first announced, would be running with an electric motor that produces 590 hp. The car’s range is pretty formidable too, running 310 miles before needing a charge. Almost as a direct response to the Model S and Model X’s Supercharger system, the Mission E is also capable of charging its battery to 80 percent after just 15 minutes of being plugged in.

Porsche also claimed that the Mission E would be a powerhouse in terms of performance, hitting 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. While such times are not comparable to the 0-60 time of the Model S P100D in Ludicrous Plus Mode, the Mission E’s acceleration is still nothing to scoff at. Lastly, the Porsche Mission E is also designed to be affordable to Tesla’s target demographic, as the EV is expected to be priced between US$80,000 – US$90,000.

Speculations are high that the Porsche Mission E would be ready for mass production sometime in 2020, with orders for the vehicle starting in 2019.

[Featured Image by VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock]