The battle for sports-electric supremacy is gaining a lot of traction, and the engineers over at Piech Automotive AG aren’t wasting any time. Back in 2019, at the Geneva Motor Show, the Mark Zero was unveiled to the world as an electric sports car concept. Now, that concept has come to fruition as the Piech GT, a full-fledged work-in-progress. 

At the moment, the closest specimen we have to an all-electric sports car is the Porsche Taycan Turbo. No doubt, when the Piech GT arrives in 2024, it will be welcomed by green sports car enthusiasts with open arms. For now, let’s take a look at what Piech Automotive AG promises for the future.

What is the Piech GT?

The Piech GT is a two-door coupe named after the late the great Ferdinand Piech, who served as chairman on the Volkswagen Group’s executive and supervisory boards from 1993-2015. From the side, it looks like a Miata, with a short back and long nose sitting atop intricate wheels, but closer inspection reveals some nuances. The front shares design cues from Aston Martin, as well as Porsche headlights. The rear end also looks like an Aston but simpler and more elegant. 

What is the Piech GT packing?

On paper, the Piech GT looks like any other electric car. Lithium-ion batteries line a tunnel along the car’s undercarriage and continue the length of the rear axle. It boasts over 600 horsepower from three electric motors, and even with its 4,000-pound curb weight, it manages to hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. This is all well and good, but what diversifies it from imminent electric sports cars like the new Tesla Roadster?

Eighty percent in eight minutes

Read that again. Piech Automotive AG has revealed the car will be able to charge its batteries to 80-percent in just eight minutes. At the moment, this can only be done if plugged into a CCS2 fast-charging station. Piech also revealed it is working with a Chinese company to deliver even faster charge times. Known as TGOOD, the company is developing a fast charger that allows the car to charge fully in less than five minutes. TGOOD is currently the world’s largest EV charging infrastructure provider.

How is the car going to handle?

Thanks in part to battery placement, the car has a 40/60 weight distribution, much like a Porsche 911. One of the three electric motors powers the front wheels, while the other two each get their own rear wheel. Although this sounds like an all-wheel drive setup, which it is, most of the power will come from the rear wheels. 

When to expect the Piech GT

Ferdinand Piech’s son Anton is spearheading the project as the co-founder and CEO of Piech Automotive. Even amidst Coronavirus chaos, Anton says production is right on target and entering the prototype-testing phase, so the 2024 launch timeline might actually happen. From the Piech press release, “the flexible concept with its modular vehicle architecture serves as the basis for further body variants in the model series.” In other words, there could be more cars coming from Piech Automotive, like a sports sedan or an SUV.