Via TeslaMondo:
May 7, 2015: Porsche CEO Matthias Müller: “I cannot say anything about Tesla,” he said. “I don’t know anything about Tesla.”
Sept. 14, 2015: Porsche CEO Matthias Müller: “We have great respect for Tesla,” Mr. Müller said. “They are the only one who have brought an electric vehicle on the market that you have to take seriously.”
Playing dumb doesn’t work. Nor does dissage. Ask Lexus, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Aston Martin.
Also, thus far at least, concept cars don’t work either. They struggle to transport you anywhere. You go to your driveway to get inside one — you know, maybe you’re going to work — but you end up stranded, seated on the pavement, your arms extended straight ahead, your hands grasping an imaginary steering wheel. A shame, really. Your neighbors look out their windows and shake their heads, embarrassed for you.
If only the press could witness scenes like this, maybe concept cars would receive different treatment. Maybe the word “concept” would take precedence over “Tesla-killer.” Imaginary cars don’t sell very well, even with their zero-emissions bragging rights and zero-dollars price tag.
Let me clarify something: Tesla does concepts too… what was the 2009 Model S? A concept. The March 2016 Model 3 “preview”? A concept… I bet Porsche will build the Mission e with the same range and performance or better. The purpose of the concept is to see how it is received and for testing purposes. The Germans like to take their time and do things properly. Also, this concept shows how serious they are and if there is one car maker to take seriously it definitely is Porsche. After all Porsche himself made AWD EVs more than a century ago.
Good point. But we can’t forget a big difference between the fate of the Tesla Model S prototype in 2009 and this Porsche prototype owns fate. For the last one, Porsche could decide to not built it at all, and Porsche will go on as a profitable auto maker with business as usual…For Tesla, making the Model S a real car and selling it was the condition for it to survives as an auto maker.
Electric is not new to Porsche and they, unlike American car makers have no problem switching to electric motors. I’m sure of all car makers, Porsche has foresight, they know that electric is the way of the future, hence the reason they put so much effort in a working prototype with all the amazing details you can see. Again, not everyone likes to do things in a rushed way especially Germans. I prefer a well designed, well finished car to a crappy half baked EV.
Actually, it’s a second U-turn because he first said in last March:
Porsche boss Matthias Mueller spoke at the automaker’s annual press
conference awhile back. He made it clear that Porsche is going to chase
Tesla:
“Tesla has built an exceptional car. They have a very pragmatic approach and set the standard, where we have to follow up now.”
Ha. That makes things even weirded. 😛