Stuttgart. Around 60 per cent of all new Panamera models that have been delivered in Europe were equipped with a hybrid drive. The new Panamera plug-in hybrid models were launched on the European market in June 2017. In some countries, the proportion of hybrid vehicles is even higher. In France, for example, the figure is 70 per cent, in Austria it is over 80 per cent and in Belgium it is even over 90 per cent. When it comes to incoming orders, the Scandinavian countries are showing their high affinity for electromobility: In Norway, 90 per cent of all Panamera customers order a hybrid model, while in Finland the figure is 85 per cent. “Electromobility is the future”, as Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG, said at a presentation of the new Panamera plug-in hybrid models. He went on to say that “Porsche and electromobility are a perfect match.”
The Panamera model with a plug-in hybrid drive has a purely electric range of up to 50 kilometres. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid flagship model represents the perfect combination of exceptional performance and maximum efficiency, with a four-litre V8 engine and an electric motor generating a system power of 680 hp.
The next step is the Mission E: Preparations are underway in Zuffenhausen for the production of Porsche’s first purely battery-powered sports car. The vehicle will have a range of 500 kilometres and will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds. Using fast charging, it will be possible to charge its battery by 80 per cent in just 15 minutes. “It is the most ambitious project we have ever taken on”, says Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics, Reimold.
“Sustainability is the foundation of our company management. Resource-efficient production methods are of the highest priority for Porsche, and are also being factored into the restructuring of our traditional plant in Zuffenhausen for the production of the first purely electric Porsche”, explains Albrecht Reimold. By 2019, there will be a brand new plant, a factory within the factory. “Our goal is to achieve CO2-neutral production. We are completely on schedule. The Mission E will be on the market by the end of the decade.”
Porsche is investing around one billion euro in the Mission E project, around 700 million euro of which will go towards the production facilities at the headquarters in Zuffenhausen. A new paint shop, dedicated assembly area and an 800-metre-long conveyor bridge for transporting the painted bodies and drive units to the final assembly area are being constructed there. The existing engine plant is being expanded to manufacture electric drives. The existing body construction will also be expanded. A total of 1,200 new jobs are being created. There will also be additional investments related to this, for example in the Weissach development centre.
Planning for the years ahead is now underway. “We are already thinking about derivatives of the Mission E”, says Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics, Reimold. “We are also planning additional purely electric vehicles and investigating relevant segments. We are working with Audi on a joint electric vehicle architecture for the long-term future.”
The Porsche Engineering subsidiary also developed a fast charging system. With a voltage of 800 volts and a charging rate of up to 320 kW, “Porsche Turbo Charging” ensures high charging performance and short charging times even in a heterogeneous network infrastructure.
Furthermore, Porsche and Audi are representing the Volkswagen Group in IONITY, a joint venture with the BMW Group, Daimler AG and Ford Motor Company. The goal of this venture is to construct and operate 400 powerful fast charging stations along the major European traffic routes by 2020. Construction of the first stations will get underway before the end of the year. In addition to IONITY, the Porsche dealer network is becoming part of a nationwide rapid charging infrastructure, which will gradually be equipped with 800-volt charging technology. The expansion of Porsche’s internal charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is also in full swing: 66 charging pedestals with 109 charging points will be put into operation as part of the initial phase of construction at the sports car manufacturer’s sites.
