The Porsche Mission E, the concept that previewed the companys upcoming Taycan EVHandout / Porsche Porsches iconic 911 sports car, which shaped the German brands elite image for decades, may soon get eclipsed by the Taycan EV.Months before its official unveiling in September, Porsche has already amassed deposits for nearly 30,000 Taycans, and the early haul supports plans to lift annual production of the brands first all-electric model to 40,000 vehicles, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said Monday in a note.With Porsche delivering 35,600 911s last year, the Taycan to be priced at roughly US$90,000 could zoom past the conventional two-door to define the brand for the next generation.Success of the Taycan is critical for parent company Volkswagen to boost the appeal of electric cars as it prepares for a rollout of battery-powered vehicles for the masses. The Taycans arrival could also pose a fresh challenge to Teslas Model S, a key vehicle for Elon Musks push to make the U.S. electric-car leader profitable.Customers can register as a prospective Taycan buyer by placing a 2,500-euro deposit, which gets deducted from the final purchase price. To help drive uptake, Porsche is installing fast chargers at dealerships in the U.S. and Europe that will load the Taycans battery with enough power to drive as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) in four minutes. The cars total range on a single charge stands at 500 kilometers.Porsche set an initial production target of 20,000 vehicles per year, based on a two-shift system, but that can be expanded if needed, production chief Albrecht Reimold told reporters last year.The company has been rapidly building up capacity in recent months. For the 1,500 new hires needed to produce the Taycan, Porsche said Monday that it has recruited nearly 1,000 so far after receiving some 32,000 applications. The training process for the electric-car assembly lasts as long as six
Origin: Porsche’s Taycan EV on track to zoom past 911 sales