Porsche Cars North America will equip its 189 U.S. dealerships with 800-volt DC fast-charging stations in preparation for the launch of an electric sedan based on the Mission E concept.
The car is expected in 2019, with U.S. sales beginning late that year or in early 2020. But it’s not too early to start preparing the retail network, Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer said.
“Charging infrastructure is an extremely important part of the EV experience as a whole,” Zellmer said in a statement.
In addition to the dealership chargers, Porsche just installed six fast-charging stations at its U.S. headquarters and the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. Stations also will be installed at the automaker’s Experience Center in Los Angeles.
“We are also working with other organizations on a network of DC fast-chargers for cities and highways,” Zellmer said. Residential charging also will be an important piece of the puzzle, he added. Zellmer didn’t give a timetable for the installation of the chargers in the dealership network or elsewhere.
Porsche has boasted about the quick-charging capability it will deliver in the Mission E production vehicle, which will have an 800-volt architecture. The fast-charging stations will be able to charge the vehicles to 80 percent of their capacity — around 250 miles — in less than 20 minutes. The car’s total range is expected to top 300 miles.
Stefan Weckbach, Porsche’s head of battery electric vehicles, said the production car will be unmistakably a Porsche in its handling, sportiness and design. It will be able to quickly accelerate to top speeds repeatedly without emptying the battery, he said in a statement.
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