Porsche eyes 20,000 Mission E sales
POWERING AHEAD: Lithium-ion battery can squeeze out nearly 500 km of range on a 15-minute charge
Porsche has some very lofty expectations when its all-electric Mission E goes on sale.
According to German newspaper Automobilwoche (hat tip to Automobile Magazine), Porsche chief executive Oliver Blume expects to sell 20,000 copies of the Mission E when the production-spec version launches in 2019.
“We have the Mission E calculated with a number of items in the order of about 20,000,” Blume said.
For comparison, Porsche sold 31,950 examples of the 911 across the globe last year. It’s a lofty goal, to say the least. Even if Porsche doesn’t meet its sales targets initially, the Mission E is quite promising regardless. With 600 horsepower on tap from its electric motors, it can reportedly sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds.
Not only that, the Mission E’s lithium-ion battery pack can squeeze out more than 480 km of range on a 15-minute charge.
Porsche development head Michael Steiner says that along with the Mission E, the automaker is entertaining the idea of a 718 Boxster plug-in hybrid.
While it’s still exactly that — an idea — if it ever comes to fruition, the plug-in Boxster will coexist with the current gasoline variant for a while, much like the Panamera lineup.
VW teases Arteon fastback-style sedan
Volkswagen has given us yet another glimpse at a sleek, fastback-style sedan.
And given the automaker’s push to electrification, some sort of hybrid powertrain wouldn’t surprise us.
Dubbed the Arteon, VW will reveal the new model at the Geneva Motor Show in March before going on sale in Europe next summer and North America next year. It’ll slot above the Passat, likely pointing to a CC replacement.
VW is keeping the Arteon’s design close to its chest. All we have (for now) is this sketch, but Volkswagen does promise a “highly expressive, horizontally accentuated” look with elements of the grille extending into the headlights, thus tying the front end together.
Lightweight Mustang unveiled by Ford
Ford has some pretty big changes to the Mustang on the way for 2018, but there’s one surprise addition for the 2017 lineup — and it’s not for everyone.
Just in time for the holidays, Ford and Fisher-Price have revealed the all-new Power Wheels Mustang.
Because there’s no better time to educate your children about the risks of taking a Ford Mustang to a car meet, this one features a variable speed limiter, plus both traction and stability control — just like a real Mustang!
While this Mustang doesn’t have a V8 under the hood, it does include a speaker that pipes out engine noises that rise and fall with the Mustang’s speed. It’s in dealers — er, toy stores — now.