If there’s one memory we take from being at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show it is that Porsche’s Mission E succinctly summed up the show’s underlying message about efficiency and performance while others nibbled at imaginative technologies.
And unlike other hollow concept cars dotted around the halls, you got the sense that Mission E had been revealed because Porsche believed they possessed the technology and that this car could exist in real world conditions. Before the next chapter can begin, Porsche has to name their battery partner…
Currently the company is in the final stages of negotiations with battery developers Panasonic and Bosch. A niggling concern for Porsche is Panasonic’s close relationship with rival brand Tesla – the battery company produces the battery cells for the Model S and Model X and helped establish the gigafactory in Nevada.
Bosch offers the simpler logistics and the two German brands working towards a shared goal has a certain feel-good factor but Bosch’s prices are believed to be higher than those quoted by Panasonic. Bosch previously partnered with Samsung on the development of the 500e.
Choosing either company will put Porsche’s battery development on a different path to Audi’s deal with Korean companies LG Chem and Samsung SDI. It will be worth observing the different ranges and charging times promised by these two companies.
