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Porsche’s Photovoltaic Pylon Is an Eco-Friendly Black Monolith

After Porsche announced that its first battery-powered model would enter production by the end of the decade, the automaker reaffirmed its eco credentials by building its first photovoltaic pylon.
Porsche Photovoltaic Pylon 1 photo
Photo: Porsche
Looks interesting, doesn’t it? Like a combination between the Protoss Pylon in StarCraft and the ominous-looking black monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Located at Porsche’s technology park in Adlershof, Berlin, the imposing structure weighs a hefty 37 tons (81.571 pounds) and stands 25 meters (82 feet) above the ground.

The primary material used to construct the Porsche photovoltaic pylon in Berlin is steel. The business end of the pylon is represented by 7,776 solar cells. In ideal conditions, the solar cells can generate up to 30,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

That equals 333.3 times the battery capacity of the Tesla Model S P90D electric sedan.

Porsche is very confident in the technology that went into making its first-ever photovoltaic pylon. So confident that it claims the pylon could handle the electricity requirement of the Porsche Centre in Berlin-Adlershof when it opens in the spring of 2017. As if that claim weren’t bold enough, the electricity produced by the pylon will also help the center’s visitors with charging their electric vehicles.

Dr. Jens Puttfarcken, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche, is adamant that the pylon demonstrates the automaker’s “clear commitment to electric mobility and stands as a symbol of sustainable investment that will help conserve resources: Porsche is systematically addressing the challenges associated with electric mobility.” Infrastructure is the key factor in the success of electric mobility, alright.

Though the technology of the Porsche Mission E is radically new for the sports car manufacturer, the philosophy of Porsche’s first all-electric model is similar to that of the 911 and 918 Spyder. To make the Mission E happen, the Stuttgart-based brand will invest €1 billion in development and new jobs.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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