Porsche's Supercharging Stations Won't Be Free

Porsche’s electric vehicles aren’t going to come with free charging, instead, the brand expects its new fast charge network to generate a profit.

Production of Porsche’s first EV is expected to start sometime near the end of 2019 or early 2020, when the new factory is expected to be complete.

Up until recently, the electric Porsche has been dubbed the Mission E, but the automaker confirmed that the name is a filler and won’t be used on the production car. Porsche expects to build 20,000 of them a year once production starts. That volume would put it slightly under the 718 Cayman and Boxster as the automaker’s slimmest seller, but it is still a significant number of cars.

To go along with the new car, Porsche is installing a fast charge system using a new 800-volt system. Mission E program boss Dr. Stefan Weckbach has said that the new charging system will give the car 250 miles of range in about 20 minutes. For comparison, Tesla’s Supercharger network will add about 110 miles of range in the same amount of time. The upcoming network will be part of a joint venture between Porsche, BMW, Mini, Daimler, Ford, and the rest of the Volkswagen group. 400 of the chargers are expected in Europe by 2020.

But unlike Tesla’s Supercharger network, Porsche’s network will charge your credit card, not just your vehicle.

SEE ALSO: Porsche to Install 800V Chargers at Dealers for Mission E

Even after recent increases, the Supercharger network is not intended to be a profit center. The Porsche network will be. Deputy Chairman Lutz Meschke told GearBrainthat Porsche wants to make money from charging.

“Yes, we want to earn money with the new products and services. Of course. Yes,” Meschke said.

Meschke pointed out that Tesla’s network was only free for a while.

“Yes we try to do this [bill from day one] of course. We can invest in the beginning but after two or three years you have to be profitable with the new services, of course,” Meschke said.

How much will Porsche charge for a charge? Meschke said that Porsche expected it to cost in the range of a tank of gas, not the cheap electricity buyers are used to.

That said, these are extremely fast chargers. The kind you’re more likely to use on long trips, not everyday use. On vacation-length road trips, buyers might be more likely to be OK with higher fees.

It comes as little surprise that Porsche will not provide free charging. After all, Porsche is known for allowing buyers to more than double the cost of a model with options like $4,000 door sills and $600 seat belt colors.

[Source: Gear Brain]

This article originally appeared on HybridCars.com