MISSION E – Shaping the future

The electric drive is a double blessing. It will enable Porsche to meet more stringent consumption and emission standards in the future. At the same time, it significantly improves the performance of the vehicles.

When it comes to electrification, the focus is on the contrasting pairs of ‘innovation and tradition’ and ‘performance and suitability’ for everyday use. With every new model generation, the sports car manufacturer once again demonstrates its outstanding engineering achievements. The company principle "Perform much, consume little" should be raised to the next level at every juncture.

Charging with 800 volts.

In addition to costs, the most critical factors for the breakthrough of electromobility are the range and availability of sufficient infrastructure. Practical experience shows that the majority of currently available electric vehicles are designed as commuter vehicles or for use in city centres. In most cases, frequent recharging is necessary and the driving performance rarely meets the usual user requirements. Even during long charging processes, for example overnight or during working hours, the range gained remains manageable due to the current relatively low battery capacity. The 800-volt technology, which is being strongly promoted by Porsche, offers great potential for this.

With the Mission E prototype at the IAA 2015, Porsche offered a preview of a vehicle that will be a genuine Porsche and a fully-fledged alternative to vehicles with a combustion engine – in terms of both driving performance and range. The efficient drive train and the high capacity of the battery allow a range of more than 500 km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). This means that the majority of all journeys can be made over several days with a single battery charge. The need to recharge at every opportunity is significantly reduced. Instead of refuelling at the petrol station, the vehicle is simply charged at home.

Porsche turbo-charging concept achieves best time.

For long distances that need to be covered in as short a time as possible, waiting times for the charging process are very pronounced and are usually unacceptable to the consumer. In order to keep the charging process brief, a high charging capacity is required. Corresponding AC charging systems are no longer suitable for installation in vehicles, due to their weight and dimensions. For this reason, at this point high-power charging systems that convert from alternating to direct current in the charging station are used. The heavy high-current charger is not required inside the vehicle. Only the necessary safety and monitoring unit remains.

A suitably designed high-power charging infrastructure must accommodate the usual user behaviour on long journeys and enable a convenient ratio of journey time to break time. Within the usual break times of 15 to 20 minutes, power is recharged for a range of around 400 kilometres.

Increased future opportunities for electromobility.

Raising the voltage level of the infrastructure to 800 volts enables a significant reduction in charging time. Even on the basis of the currently available cell chemistry, charging times that fit easily into the travel profile of long-haul journeys are possible. Evaluation of the necessary technology shows that this infrastructure can be technically implemented. Economic efficiency is also apparent in relation to the customer benefit for operators and users.