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www.ADandP.media So, which segment will reach that goal, and what will be its natural habitat? Shepard's response is a bit of a surprise, given the preconceptions that have built up around electric vehicles. "The suburban market will be the prime user of the electric vehicle, not the urban market," he says, explaining that the ability to recharge the vehicle conveniently and the drive to reduce vehicle ownership by banning individually owned vehicles within the city limits—as is happening in Europe— will cap BEV sales in population dense urban areas. For the average electric vehicle owner, charging at home will be the norm, and—as vehicle range increases—the need to top up will only happen at work or at a destination with public charging. And even that will be uncommon. "Rarely, rarely, rarely will the owner use the public infrastructure," claims Shepard. "You probably will not have to stop at any charging station for any amount of time because you will no longer have to plan your day or your trip around the range of your vehicle." This, however, depends on where and how you live. Those living in an urban multi-unit dwelling or who don't have access to their own plug-in point will be underserved. Infrastructure, both at the dwelling and on the street, can be added, but it will be costly and have an uncertain payback on that investment. That, says Shepard, is because a 200-mile range equates with approximately 60 kWh of energy. This energy would have to be drawn from a public DC fast-charger once a week to once every two weeks. "That's one to two hours of charging time based on the current infrastructure," he says. Popping the output up to 100 kWh only cuts the charging time to 30 minutes, which for most people is a pretty significant chunk of time in which they are forced to be idle. In addition, Porsche's Mission E first appeared as a concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, but has swiftly moved to production status. The four-door/four-seat sedan has a system power output of more than 600 hp (440 kW), and should propel the car from 0-60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds while offering a range of more than 310 miles. Lithium-ion batteries are integrated into the floor, and charged by an 800-volt charger developed specially for the car, making it possible, Porsche claims, to give the Mission E an 80 percent charge in 15 minutes. Production is expected in 2020. 33 AD&P; ∕ SEPTEMBER 2016 EV FUTURE