Porsche to follow Tesla with over-the-air updates and software-locked options for the upcoming all-electric Mission E

Porsche’s upcoming first all-electric vehicle, currently known as the Mission E, is among the most anticipated of a series of premium all-electric vehicles planned to hit the market in the next 3 years. The German automaker revealed most of their plans for the vehicle in 2015 when they unveiled the first concept, but they are continuously releasing new tidbits to keep the hype going.

CEO Oliver Blume released a few more details this week on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show.

While talking with Autocar, Blume revealed that they plan to follow in Tesla’s footsteps and offer over-the-air updates.

Furthermore, they also plan to have software-locked options, like Tesla’s in-car battery pack upgrade or Autopilot Convenience features being unlocked through software from the vehicle for a price.

It’s not clear yet for what options it will be offered, but Blume is thinking of doing something similar for power:

“It will be possible to work with over-the-air options. It isn’t decided yet, but it could be possible to charge up with more power. For example, when you have 400bhp, it could be possible to upgrade to 450bhp.”

Additionally, the CEO said that the vehicle will have a place below the Panamera in Porsche’s vehicle lineup:

“The Mission E will sit in the segment below the Panamera. It will offer a 500km (311 mile) eletric range, with a 15 minute charge time.”

Range and charging times are claims that the company has made before about the vehicle. “500km (311 mile)” is likely to be a reference to NEDC-rated and therefore, we expect that EPA and real-world range should be closer to 250 miles.

The reference to a “segment below the Panamera” brings hope that it could be more reasonably priced than expected considering the Panamera starts at ~$80,000.

Finally, Blume also revealed that Porsche is planning level 4 autonomy for the Mission E, which means that in specific conditions, the vehicle can drive itself without driver supervision:

“There are situations in traffic jams where you will be able to read a newspaper, but our customers take pleasure from driving and this will remain.”

Exciting stuff, but the vehicle is still about 2 years away from production so we will see. As we recently reported, Porsche has high hopes for its first all-electric vehicle and plans to sell about 20,000 units per year.