Porsche & Mercedes Are Developing Electric Cars To Take On Tesla's Model S | TechTree.com

Porsche & Mercedes Are Developing Electric Cars To Take On Tesla's Model S

Porsche's car will be based on the Panamera, while Mercedes' will be an equivalent to its E or S-Class saloon

 

When it comes to electric mobility, the first name to spring to mind is that of American manufacturer Tesla. The company founded and run by real-world Iron Man, Elon Musk, has been so successful at offloading its Model S to consumers, that it's giving traditional auto giants the shivers.

According to German publication Manager Magazine, sources from Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz say they're readying electric cars to take on Tesla's Model S. Porsche's chairman Matthias Müller supposedly went as far as saying that the company's all-electric car will be based on the MSB platform and will look similar to the Panamera.

Porsche already has a hybrid version of the Panamera on sale, but the new version will be powered by advanced batteries that will challenge the Model S in terms of performance and range. The car will come with a synchroneous electric motor that will produce similar horsepower to the Model S, while the company will try to achieve a weight lower than that of the Tesla.

While Porsche says its Tesla Model S competitor will be out by 2018, Mercedes-Benz is the other major manufacturer planning to get into the game. Mercedes however won't have an all-electric luxury saloon out before 2021, as none of its current models are capable of housing the large battery pack, which will require redesigning.

Audi will take on Tesla, but not its Model S. The company recently announced its Q8 e-tron which should be out in 2017, but is likely to compete with Tesla's Model X SUV which should be out in the March 2015. Porche and Audi going after Tesla signifies parent Volkswagen's eagerness to enter the all-electric passenger vehicle segment.

Being owned by the same brand means Porsche and Audi are likely to collaborate in developing key components, especially batteries. The move will also help them reduce manufacturing and development costs, further boosting their chances of taking on Tesla.


TAGS: Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, electric cars

 
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