As Porsche unveiled the all-electric Mission R concept race car at the ongoing IAA Mobility 2021 show in Munich, the chief executive of the Stuttgart-headquartered sports car maker revealed the Taycan — Porsche’s first production all-electric four-door sports car — has been attracting robust demand globally.
“Our original production capacity for the Taycan was 20,000 units this year — we’ve sold that many in the first half of the year,” said Oliver Blume, Porsche AG CEO, at a panel discussion held on the sidelines of the Mission R launch program.
“Incoming orders are huge,” he added.
Worldwide deliveries of the Taycan in the first six months of 2021 were nearly the same as its full-year total in 2020 — or 19,822 Taycan models sold from January to June this year compared against 20,015 units for all 12 months last year. The six-month total of the all-electric model almost matched that of Porsche’s iconic 911 sports car, which reached 20,611 units during the same period. Sales of the 911 in the first half was already a 22% increase from the same period last year.
“The rate of electrification is growing in all regions. This development confirms the path that we have taken with our drive strategy. In Europe, around 40% of the cars currently being delivered have an electric motor — whether they’re a purely electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid,” Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, said in an earlier statement.
Porsche’s global sales for all models grew a record 31% in the first six months compared to the same period of the previous year.
“Our order books are full. At the same time, we are aware of the uncertainties caused by the Corona pandemic and the semiconductor supply situation. We are continuing to keep a close eye on the overall situation while maintaining our optimistic stance,” von Platen said.
The Taycan, which went into production in late 2019 and marked its first full year on the market in 2020, was first displayed as the Mission E concept car in 2015. Its derivative model, the Taycan Cross Turismo crossover launched this year, was also initially shown as the Mission E Cross Turismo in 2018. With the newly unveiled Mission R, Porsche is presenting its vision of customer motorsports program in the near future.
The Mission R is an all-wheel drive race car with two electric motors delivering just under 1,100 hp, allowing the car to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds, and a top speed of over 300 km/h. Thanks to advanced 900-volt technology and Porsche Turbo Charging, the car’s battery can be charged from 5% to 80% in only 15 minutes.