When Porsche revealed its Mission E Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, it sent the message that the automaker was very serious about electrified platforms. Not long after the concept’s debut, news broke that Porsche had approved a production version of the vehicle that would almost certainly rival Tesla’s Model S and whatever BMW is cooking up from its i Series line.
While final details about the consumer-ready model are still a mystery, Porsche has created a video about how the Mission E came to be.
In the clip, we learn that the concept was far more than eye candy. The Mission E used parts from the 2011 Boxster E prototype to create a functional structure. Specs from its debut included a 600 horsepower electric powertrain with two electric motors that propelled the vehicle to 60 mph in about 3.0 seconds.
Porsche also boasted that the Mission E had a range of 310 miles and that it could recharge 80 percent of its battery pack (equivalent to 248 miles) in about 15 minutes via the company’s new “Turbo Charging” system. This element to the car, possibly the most impressive bit, is due for production as well.
We also know the production version will be styled “very close” to the concept, with elements of the Porsche Panamera (sans the hump back) baked into the design. In Porsche’s own words, the Mission E will open “a new chapter in the history of the sports car.” If that new chapter is headlined with rapid charging, 300+ mile ranges, and supercar sprints to 60 mph, I’m all for it.
The production model is due around 2020 and will be built in Porsche’s Stuttgart factory. To bring the vehicle to life, Porsche will invest 700 million euros (about $764 million) in the project, which should create around 1,000 new jobs.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.