'Mission E' news: Porsche takes Tesla seriously as it unveils new electric car concept
In its latest car concept called the "Mission E" electric car, Porsche seemed to challenge Tesla Motors Inc., taunting the rival company to take its competitors seriously.
According to Bloomberg, the new concept is able to reach 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour in a matter of 3.5 seconds, slamming the previous record of the 911 new-generation model.
Mission E sports a range of more than 500 kilometers and can recharge the battery to 80 percent in only about 15 minutes, compared to Tesla's "Supercharger" that requires about 30 minutes to recharge the "Model S" for a 270-kilometer range. Matthias Mueller, head of the Volkswagen AG unit, called the new concept a 600-horsepower electric car during the International Auto Show in Frankfurt.
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While Tesla develops to becoming a worthy competitor, Porsche and its sister unit Audi remain on top of the elite car brands starting to shift into battery-powered autos.
Tesla is a U.S. electric carmaker, and later this month will be delivering its second vehicle, the "Model X" crossover. CEO Elon Musk has, by far, received positive reviews for the handling of the previous model, also for his announcement that a more affordable vehicle is in the works.
Meanwhile, Mueller gears up with Porsche's new concept on the way, saying in an interview on Tuesday that the company's electric car will be "better than a Tesla."
Reports say Porsche is planning to out more than 200,000 vehicles this year for the first time, after it was pushed by the demand for the Macan compact SUV, which is priced at $52,600. On the other hand, Tesla is only targeting around 50,000 to 55,000 deliveries this year.
Wired says though Porsche is working its way into the race with Tesla, it has one amazing and fairly significant advantage over the long-standing carmaker: its electric car exists in reality and is ready for shipping, whereas Porsche's is somewhere on the way to an actual auto.
