Porsche fans are reportedly signing up to buy the company's stunning Tesla rival
- Porsche fans are signing up to buy the automaker's first fully-electric vehicle, the Taycan, Autocar reports.
- The publication said the company starting receiving "expressions of interest" from potential customers this month.
- The vehicle, which was previously known as the Mission E, is expected to start around $75,000, and Porsche will start production in 2019.
- It will have a range of over 300 miles, produce over 600 horsepower, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds.
Porsche fans are signing up to order the automaker's first fully-electric vehicle, the Taycan, Autocar reports.
The publication said the company starting receiving "expressions of interest" from potential customers this month.
Porsche did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the number of customers who have expressed interest in the Taycan.
The vehicle, which was previously known as the Mission E, is expected to start around $75,000, and Porsche will start production in 2019. It will have a range of over 300 miles, produce over 600 horsepower, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds.
The Taycan will compete against Tesla's Model S sedan. Between its two premium trims, the Model S has a maximum range of 335 miles and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
In February, Porsche's head of electric vehicles, Stefan Weckbach, said the Taycan will be able to sustain its performance better than the Model S. The Taycan "will offer reproducible performance and a top speed which can be maintained for long periods," he said.
Weckbach also hinted at driver-assistance features, like the ability to autonomously park or stop and start in traffic. The vehicle is expected to have other high-tech features, like a digital instrument panel that mirrors the driver's movements and a dashboard that drivers can control with gestures through a holographic display.
Porsche will invest over $7 billion in electric vehicles and related technology by 2022. Over $580 million will be allocated to the production of the Taycan and other vehicles based on it, including a crossover previously known as Mission E Cross Turismo.
By the end of 2019, Porsche plans to install at least 500 fast-chargers across the US that will rival Tesla's Supercharger network, which consists of over 10,000 chargers worldwide. Porsche's 800-volt chargers will be able to give a vehicle an 80% charge in 20 minutes.
Here's a look at the Taycan.