Porsche And Audi Are Joining Forces For New EV Platform

Why spend double when both share common goals?

There are many benefits of being part of the Volkswagen Group. Not only is there a solid parent company but also the ability to work on joint projects with other brands. Case in point: Porsche and Audi. Reuters reports the two premium performance and luxury brands are joining forces to develop a next generation electric vehicle platform. Assuming all goes to plan, the first EVs riding on this architecture will be ready to go for 2021. The reason for the partnership is, as you’ve probably already guessed, cost related.

The jointly developed architecture will save both Porsche and Audi significant sums. “If both would act on their own, costs would be 30 percent higher,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said. Audi is planning to hire 550 developers for the project and Porsche 300. So, what will specific vehicles will each brand respectively build on this EV platform? For starters, no, it won’t be a 911 EV, unless Porsche changes its mind at a later date. Audi has plans to build two sedans and two SUVs. Porsche meanwhile remains mum on details, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see this platform underpinning similar vehicles to what Audi has planned.

Blume believes Porsche’s factory in Leipzig, Germany is a strong contender for where the first EV will be assembled. Right now, Leipzig builds the Cayenne, Macan and Panamera. The upcoming production spec Mission E, however, is slated to be built at Porsche’s Stuttgart manufacturing facility, which will see an additional 1,400 employees hired for the task. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Porsche planning a smaller, more affordable all-electric sedan to rival the Tesla Model 3, as well as a compact SUV, roughly the size of the Macan. Both Porsche and Audi are very much laying the groundwork for an EV future, but don’t assume gasoline-engined vehicles, such as the 911, will be completely eliminated, at least not yet.

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Porsche Mission E Platform Also Engineered For A Coupe And Cabrio

How about a reborn 928, but as an EV?

Porsche is moving fast into the world of electric vehicles, evidenced not only by the Mission E concept, but also the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, shown last week at Geneva. Consider the latter to be somewhere in between a sedan and a crossover, though with an all-electric powertrain. But don’t think for a moment Porsche is planning to offer only two different body styles on a platform they’ve invested heavily in. According to Car and Driver, that platform has also been engineered to handle a future coupe, convertible and even rear-wheel-drive.

Speaking at a roundtable event, Stefan Weckbach, head of electric-vehicle development at Porsche, said that “If you talk about two-door cars or convertibles, the (Mission E) platform will be ready for that.” This is not to say that the Mission E platform will also be used to underpin a future generation 911. Think beyond that. What other sports cars has Porsche built in somewhat more recent years, aside from the 718 Boxster and Cayman? The 928, for example. Now, this is purely speculation on our part, but we would not at all be surprised to see Porsche launch a reborn 928 as an all-electric grand tourer.

Adding further ammo to this theory is that Weckbach also acknowledged not all future Mission E variants will utilize its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. “We’re definitely discussing rear-wheel-drive options right now,” said Weckbach. As with all EVs, weight is a serious issue, but leave it to Porsche to come up with creative weight-saving solutions. For example, Weckbach also said the most powerful Mission E will be “almost the same or a little bit heavier than the Panamera.” Take away one electric motor, shorten the platform and add a new body, then voila! A 928-style GT EV with rear-wheel drive. We’d even be down for a convertible as well.

View the original article here

Porsche Mission E Platform Also Engineered For A Coupe And Cabrio

How about a reborn 928, but as an EV?

Porsche is moving fast into the world of electric vehicles, evidenced not only by the Mission E concept, but also the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, shown last week at Geneva. Consider the latter to be somewhere in between a sedan and a crossover, though with an all-electric powertrain. But don’t think for a moment Porsche is planning to offer only two different body styles on a platform they’ve invested heavily in. According to Car and Driver, that platform has also been engineered to handle a future coupe, convertible and even rear-wheel-drive.

Speaking at a roundtable event, Stefan Weckbach, head of electric-vehicle development at Porsche, said that “If you talk about two-door cars or convertibles, the (Mission E) platform will be ready for that.” This is not to say that the Mission E platform will also be used to underpin a future generation 911. Think beyond that. What other sports cars has Porsche built in somewhat more recent years, aside from the 718 Boxster and Cayman? The 928, for example. Now, this is purely speculation on our part, but we would not at all be surprised to see Porsche launch a reborn 928 as an all-electric grand tourer.

Adding further ammo to this theory is that Weckbach also acknowledged not all future Mission E variants will utilize its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. “We’re definitely discussing rear-wheel-drive options right now,” said Weckbach. As with all EVs, weight is a serious issue, but leave it to Porsche to come up with creative weight-saving solutions. For example, Weckbach also said the most powerful Mission E will be “almost the same or a little bit heavier than the Panamera.” Take away one electric motor, shorten the platform and add a new body, then voila! A 928-style GT EV with rear-wheel drive. We’d even be down for a convertible as well.

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Porsche Building Electric Supercar Platform To Share With Lamborghini

Love or hate the method, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini are set to dominate the future.

It’s been said that any group is only as strong as its weakest link, but when that group is made up of Audi, Lamborghini, and Porsche—responsible for the R8 V10 Plus, Huracan Performante, and GT2 RS respectively—then weaknesses become fairly trivial. The trio makes up a dream team in the auto industry, like when LeBron James, Dwayne Wayde, and Chris Bosh were in Miami Heat, and Automotive News Europe now claims that the three are thinking up a new play to crush the competition and split the MVP ring amongst themselves.

The game-changer will come in the form of an all-electric platform from Porsche called SPE that would be shared with the other Volkswagen Group elites. Unlike other modular platforms from the group, SPE will be reserved exclusively for high performance models including an electric supercar. AN Europe notes that the first mention of the platform was in a footnote of the capital marks presentation made by Volkswagen this past November. Unfortunately our curiosity will not be satisfied anytime soon because it’s unlikely that SPE will make an appearance before 2025. Because the future is clouded by the fog of uncertainty, there’s no way of knowing what cars it’ll underpin.

One Volkswagen executive did mention that the platform is intended "for two-door sports cars and supercars,” meaning it could make an appearance in the R8 e-tron revival and later serve as the factor that pushes Lamborghini into the electric car game with a production incarnation of the Terzo Millennio Concept. Along with the platform, VW executives wouldn’t comment on whether SPE-derived cars would utilize solid-state batteries or conventional units. Out of all the automakers in the Volkswagen Group, Porsche may be best positioned for electric car development given that the take rate for its plug-in vehicles, such as the Panamera E-Hybrid, is relatively high compared to the rest of the group.

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