海角大神

Can Audi and Porsche compete with Tesla?

Audi and Porsche revealed all-electric concept cars at the Frankfurt Auto Show Monday. How do the two luxury brands compare with Tesla? 

Since going public in 2010, Tesla has been a regular in the media spotlight, with the company鈥檚 sleek auto design and self-made CEO keeping both car junkies and celebrity followers interested. But on the business front, stiff competition rolled up to the Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) Monday, sporting Audi and Porsche logos. 聽

The electric car market has proven hard to crack, particularly as 鈥�, as well as the scarcity of charging stations鈥� has deterred consumers from racing to dealerships, or Tesla for that matter. But "many analysts predict sales will rise sharply by the end of the decade,鈥� says the Irish Examiner.

Deliveries for Tesla鈥檚 Model X SUV are set to begin Sept. 29, with estimated delivery for new reservations in early 2016. The Model X, powered by two independent electric motors, features falcon wing rear doors, combining the 鈥渟pace and functionality of a seven seat sport utility vehicle with聽the聽uncompromised performance of a Tesla," Tesla boasts.

This high standard of quality and design is one that car companies haven鈥檛 yet been able to surpass, argues Telsa CEO Elon Musk. 鈥淭he large automakers are producing electric cars with limited range in limited volume. Some produce ,鈥� wrote Mr. Musk in a press release.

And there are those who agree with his assessment.

"The fascination with Tesla is not that they were the first to introduce an all-electric vehicle, it stems more from the first electric vehicle without compromise to styling, performance metrics and range," says Ivan Drury, senior manager at the US automotive website . (The first all-electric vehicles were actually developed in the mid-19th century, before being eclipsed by petroleum-powered cars.)

But Porsche and Audi are hoping to shake things up. Though Tesla remains, for now, the spotlight hogger, the entrance of established luxury brands might have a large impact on the automaker.

鈥淎s two of the world鈥檚 most sought-after auto brands, they represent heavyweight competition for the attention of wealthy, environmentally conscious buyers,鈥� reported the Irish Examiner. 鈥淏ut they also boost the credibility and cachet of the all-electric market, which could benefit Tesla.鈥�

So what are Porsche and Audi, which are owned by Volkswagen, proposing?

Porsche unveiled its first all-electric concept sports car, Mission E, one that the South African news outlet聽Times Live聽says is 鈥�.鈥� The car delivers a 310-mile driving range and a 3.5-second-to-60-mph sprint. However, 鈥渢he Mission E in driving distance after all,鈥� wrote the Auto Blog. 鈥淭he Porsche's nearly 311-mile range is on the European testing cycle鈥�according to Tesla, a Model S 85D is rated at the equivalent of 328 miles in Europe.鈥�

With a predicted market launch of 2018, the car sports an entirely new drive system 鈥測et it is typical Porsche, i.e. ,鈥� said Porsche in a press release. To add to the effect, Porsche reports that in just 15 minutes, the battery can be charged to 80 percent.

Audi, on the other hand, revealed the E-Tron Quattro, a tri-motor electric SUV. With a range pegged at more than 310 miles, Audi is on par with Porsche, expecting a dealership launch by 2018.

However, not everyone is convinced the German brands have enough to compete with Tesla. 鈥淭hat range is almost certainly on the highly optimistic European testing cycle. In U.S. EPA testing, the range will probably be ,鈥� says Green Car Reports. It鈥檚 鈥渁 long way off from the Tesla Model X鈥� despite it being 鈥�,鈥� reports Car Buzz.

Automakers are undoubtedly seeing growth opportunities for the electric car market in the coming years. Though Tesla appears to have a bit of a head start, renowned brands are not intimidated by the Musk startup. Build the 鈥渂est electric car in the world. ,鈥� Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche鈥檚 R&D boss, told Top Gear.

Tesla claims it's not just building an excellent electric car, it's also intent on accelerating sustainable transportation, evidenced by their move last year to .听

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see automakers invest in building compelling electric vehicles,鈥� a spokesperson from Tesla told the Monitor.