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Tesla Model S rival Porsche Mission E spotted testing on the Nurburgring
Porsche recently took its Mission E prototype to the Nurburgring in Germany, where it was spotted speeding through one of the tracks’ iconic turns. As could be seen in a brief clip featuring the upcoming all-electric high-performance sedan, the Mission E was able to go through the exit of Brunnchen in classic, aggressive Porsche fashion.
Considered as the German legacy automaker’s direct competitor to the Tesla Model S, the Mission E is expected to pack a lot of high-tech gear and formidable performance. Just recently, Porsche VP of Product Line BEV, Stefan Weckbach, even threw some shade at Tesla, stating that the American electric car and energy company does not build a car that can tackle the performance requirements of continued track driving.
Weckbach also noted that the Porsche Mission E, with its twin electric motors delivering instant torque, would be designed to be driven hard over long periods of time. According to the Porsche executive, the Mission E would be able to maintain its top speed and aggressive acceleration even under the demanding conditions of track driving.
Teslarati’s “48” Model S race car at Laguna Seca
The Model S, after all, is capable of Ludicrous straight-line acceleration, but when taken to a racetrack, Tesla’s software ends limits the vehicle’s performance after a few minutes to prevent excessive heating of the car’s battery. Track performance is something that the German automaker has proven mastery of over the years, with some of his vehicles like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS and the 918 Spyder holding some of the best lap times on the Nurburgring.
Tesla might be on its way to improving the track capabilities of its vehicles, however. As we noted in a previous report, a Model 3 was recently able to complete several laps in the Laguna Seca raceway without seeing a drop in performance. The next-gen Roadster, Tesla’s fastest car to date with a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, is also speculated to be capable of maintaining its high speed over long periods of time.
The Mission E was first unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show as a concept car. Since then, however, Porsche has begun producing pre-production prototypes of the electric car, which still boast some classic Porsche design minus some of the concept version’s more daring design elements. The most prominent of these are the rear suicide doors on the concept Mission E, which have been replaced by traditional rear doors on the pre-production variant. Some characteristics of the Mission E concept remained present in the pre-production version of the all-electric car, however, such as the sleek lines on its front that curve into its headlights.
While the Mission E will definitely be a Tesla Model S competitor when it gets released, Porsche’s idea of a charging infrastructure is far different than the Elon Musk-led company’s Supercharger network. In a recent statement, Porsche’s deputy chairman of the executive board Lutz Meschke noted that Mission E owners would be billed for charging services from day one of ownership. Meschke further noted that the rates for the Mission E’s charging would be comparable to the average prices of gasoline.
Watch the Porsche Mission E tackle a section of the Nurburgring in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=18&v=3PkUeDJKBLA
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Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.
Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.
Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
