SaratogaLefty

As K777 showed you can have your SA print out a status report like the one he attached. My SA sent me one each month until it arrived at the port and then there wasn't anything new to report.

cometguy

I noticed in the standard equipment list at the Porsche Configurator (USA) for the Pan4 Sport Turismo E-Hybrid the following: "SiriusXM® Satellite Radio (with 3-month trial) and HD Radio™ Receiver".
Does anybody with a new-generation Panamera 4 E-Hybrid have AM radio, or is there only FM radio now?

cometguy

Also, can somebody in the US explain if there are standard 120-volt (and outlet) charging pumps in public places, like the charging places that Tesla owners use when travelling longer distances across the country?
I'm wondering how easy it is to use the standard plug on a Panamera 4 E-Hybrid car at these "public" charging stations.

Wilson Laidlaw

I gave up on thoughts of charging my 4 E-H at public charge points. Firstly you have to carry a different cable. Secondly you have to subscribe to one or more charge point providers, many of which have fixed monthly subscription charges whether you use them or not. Thirdly, when you arrive at a charge point, as often as not you find it occupied, not working, your swipe card not working or no mobile/cell reception to activate via that route. Fourthly the per kWH charges are daylight robbery (often over 10 times the £0.079 per kWH that it costs me during the night, at my UK house). I charge mine solely at home and on longer journeys will either use the "Charge" facility or "Hold Charge" on the vehicle. The only time I see me charging away from home, is if I am staying at a hotel, where I would use a standard power socket overnight and the Universal Charger. For use in France, I am going to buy this: and change the plug on the end to a European standard Schuko plug. Porsche apparently ask a lot of money for the Schuko plug connector cable to the universal charger. I have the standard UK 13A rectangular pin plug cable and a 32A Commando plug cable (the one I currently use at my UK house). I will use this cable reel to charge at my French house, together with the standard UK cable and the universal charger. During the summer it is sometimes very hot there, 40ºC/104ºF and I feel that charging at the lower 3kW rate might be kinder to the battery.

I am just about to stick my French Autoroute "Telepéage" transponder badge onto the windscreen. Given how much electronics are built into above the rear view mirror, including various antennae, I wonder if I might be better positioning the transponder elsewhere on the windscreen rather than next to the mirror, where I have fitted them in the past.

Wilson

Wilson Laidlaw

On the UK supplied cars there is AM radio but I have not used it as yet to see what wavebands are available. I could only see this being of use in say northern France, if I wanted to listen to BBC Radio 4 (news, drama, etc) on Long Wave 198 kHz. From past years' experience driving down to my house in the south of France in my 997, I have found there is reception to around 100km north of Dijon, atmospheric conditions dependant. The Panamera manual is its usual useless self and unless it is hidden away in some obscure place, does not state the frequency range of the AM radio. I hope that the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio will work in France. I was in a friend's UK supplied Aston Martin a couple of years ago and the DAB radio did not work in France, which uses a different codec from the UK. I don't know what digital system the USA has gone for.

In theory I should be able to get BBC radio stations in France via the internet connection. I mostly listen to classical music and BBC Radio 3 is far better than the French stations, Musique or Culture, as the announcers there, are far too fond of their own voices and yack endlessly, rather than playing the music.

Wilson

ajriches01

Telepéage works fine behind the mirror - fear not.

Wilson Laidlaw

Thanks. Will fit it today.

cometguy

I was asking about AM radio in the new E-Hybrids for two reasons: (1) Porsche stopped listing it in their standard equipment, instead just saying HD radio; and (2) the new Volvo plug-in models (T8) have FM only (no AM radio like on all of the gas-only Volvos), and when I asked about this, I was told that something dealing with electromagnetic radiation from the batteries/electric motor causes too much interference with the AM signal.

Also, CD players seem to be standard in the glove compartments of the new Panameras, but a CD player is not listed in the standard features of the Sport Turismo E-Hybrid. Does anybody know if the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo will have a CD player in the glovebox, or if that needs to be ordered separately? No salesmen here seem to know for sure.

SaratogaLefty

I'm not sure why you believe the CD player is standard on the Panameras? When I spec'd my car the CD player was an option and I believe it was about $400. I thought about it but concluded it is not really worth it for me as I can just play pretty much whatever I want from my iPhone or an SD card so I decided to pass.

cometguy

Every 2017-2018 Panamera I've seen at dealerships has had a single-CD player in the glovebox, with slots for SIM card, etc., underneath -- seems like a combined unit. And every salesman I've asked about it (several, at several different dealerships) has said they believe single-CD players in the glovebox to be standard in the new Panameras. I have not seen an option for a single-CD player in the Porsche configurator; I only see a CD changer there for multiple CDs.

Wilson Laidlaw

My Panamera E-H has a DVD player in the rear right hand side compartment. This was specced by the original orderer. As I had the rear screens removed before I bought, I don't even know if I could use this to play CD's via the PCM or not. As I have a 128GB iPod Touch in the vehicle with my entire CD library (about 400+) in it, I am not sure why I would want to anyway. Mine also has a CD player in the glove box with a slot for a SIM and two for SD cards.

The thing I am struggling with is the apps. I signed on again with Porsche Connect (I thought I was already signed on at the dealers when collecting the car in October last year). It says my subscription is free but only until June 2018, whereas I thought I got two years free. I am waiting for the dealer to phone me back. Anyway I got it working yesterday and downloaded the Radio app (I assume onto the PCM as it does not appear on my phone). The app appeared on the apps list on the PCM and I was able to listen to internet radio. This morning the app has disappeared and the phone did not connect automatically to the car wifi, as it should do, as soon as it is out of range of my house wifi. I suppose I should have manually connected the phone to the car wifi but it is not exactly seamless.

hueydumps

Damn it - CARB just approved a bunch of cars like they do every 2 weeks or so, e-hybrid not on it: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad.../2018.php?so=4

Losing faith over here...

Wilson Laidlaw

After a long conversation with the Porsche Connect people in Berlin, it would appear there may be a soft/firmware issue with the PCM on my Panamera 4 E-H. The menus are not showing the items they should, which could be causing the connection problems I am having. I always have to start Porsche Connect manually from my phone before it will wake up on the car. The PCM should wake up the app on my phone once it connect to the car wifi. I still have been unable to find the cost per month for the connect streaming services once the free service stops at the end of June 2018. I suspect that is because it may be absurdly expensive and it would far cheaper to stream from my mobile instead. My dealer feels the free period may be extended or the pricing structure amended (from unknown to unknown?)

Pana TJ

This is probably because the EPA has not approved yet. The CARB approval will be after the EPA. All my Porsche contacts have told me that EPA has not approved yet. They only say they expect it to be approved in March???? I fear a mutiny is mounting if it is not settled soon....

SaratogaLefty

Yesterday I received an email from my contact at CARB. He has received all the required information from Porsche and he submitted the EO for management approval for the certification of the 2018 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid yesterday afternoon. He said Management approval could take a few days. I'm hoping we will receive the CARB certification this week or early next week. Then we just have to wait for the cars to start shipping from the ports to the dealership.