For Mission E, Porsche plans fast chargers at US dealers

If it seems like Porsche's been teasing us with the Mission E for years, that's because it has. The car made its debut way back in 2015 at the Frankfurt show, and now that we're just a week away from the Geneva Motor Show the company is sending us a few more choice nuggets of information. The first? Exactly when Porsche committed to producing the car.

Via another in a series of internally conducted interviews, Porsche head of EV development, Dr. Stefan Weckbach, confirmed the company's decision to manufacture the car was made back in 2015 -- immediately following its debut. That should come as no surprise: the low, sleek, porcelain concept blew us all away three years ago. To not build the thing would have been a shame. 

Mission E is an all-electric Porsche from the future

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At the time, the car was quickly called a Model S competitor, a label many still apply. Weckbach took a moment to talk up what will differentiate this EV powerhouse from . The most notable thing? Reliable, repeatable performance. Weckbach takes issue with Tesla's Ludicrous 0-60 times for the Model S, stating the car can perform such a feat "only twice -- the third attempt will fail."

Weckbach says that such performance would not be acceptable for a Porsche, that "Mission E will offer reproducible performance and a top speed which can be maintained for long periods." In other words: a proper, battery-powered track-day tool.

Another differentiator? Charging. Porsche has already confirmed 800-volt charging for Mission E, able to deliver 250 miles of range in just 20 minutes. That compares to 480 volts for the Tesla Supercharger. Given the intricacies of voltage vs. current these numbers aren't necessarily directly comparable, but suffice to say Mission E could very well be the quickest-charging car on the road when it finally hits it next year.

Of course, fast-charging only matters when chargers are available, and Porsche is for the first time detailing its commitment to build out a network in the US. Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, confirmed that the company is working to outfit all 189 US Porsche dealerships with 800-volt fast-chargers. That number pales in comparison to the thousands of Supercharger stations worldwide, but remember Tesla's network launched with just a few stations in 2012. It wasn't until 2014 that the company turned on its 100th.

The Atlanta-based Porsche Experience Center already has six of the DC fast chargers installed and, given that location also features a performance driving circuit, this sounds like a recipe for an emissions-free track day to me.