Mission E becomes Taycan as Porsche unveils EV production plans

2 August 2018

Porsche has confirmed that its Mission E electric vehicle (EV) concept will go into production in 2019 with the name Taycan.

The new production model will be the most radical in the German manufacturer’s history, being the carmaker’s first all-electric vehicle. The four-door model is to lead Porsche’s electrification plans with a range of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and other full EVs set to join the fleet in the future.

The name of the model is also significant for the company. Taycan is a word taken from an eastern dialect and translates as ′lively young horse’. It is a reference to the horse that is seen rearing up on its hind legs in the carmaker’s famous badge, which was first introduced in 1952.

Prototypes of the Taycan electric saloon have been undergoing testing and development for a number of months, with Porsche building 100 test prototypes to ensure the vehicle can cope in a range of conditions. The company wants to get the introduction of its first electric model right, as it sees the Taycan as a rival to the market-leading Tesla brand.

According to figures released by the company, the new EV will develop over 600bhp from a dense lithium-ion battery pack, rated at 270-watt-hours per kilogram. Two synchronous electric motors, one mounted on each axle, will provide the drive. These are derived from the German carmaker’s Le Mans-winning 919 LMP1 car and offer compact packaging and weight saving. Porsche believe this will give the Taycan a 0-62mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph.

′We opted for a permanently excited synchronous motor in the Taycan,’ reports Heiko Mayer, drive unit project leader. ′They combine a high energy density with strong sustained performance and maximum efficiency.’ 

Crucially, the new vehicle will have a range of 310 miles, allowing it to compete in distance with similar size petrol and diesel vehicles. In addition, an 800-volt battery pack is ready for high-speed charging, something the carmaker is working on as part of the Ionity project, which aims to start deploying such infrastructure in 2020. The company believes this could lead to a 250-mile range recharge in just 15 minutes.

The launch of the Taycan is part of the company’s bigger EV and hybrid plans. By 2025, the manufacturer is targeting that every second Porsche it sells will have an electrified drive system. It also wants a 50/50 split of these sales to be pure electric and hybrid vehicles, with a €500 million investment in the development of different Taycan models and €1 billion earmarked for electrification of the company’s existing fleet. This is all part of a larger €6 billion investment, which includes spending on material assets and costs for developing both electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid technology as the manufacturer looks to compete with Tesla in the premium electric car market.