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It's a MOBILE charger. It's literally in the name.
but it's back panel says it's 40 amp 9.6 kW charger (see photo) - Porsche's eMail implies it's not safe/effective at that level and their OTA update now defaults it to 20 amp/4.8 kW - that seems to me to be a tacit admission that the unit can not perform at the specified level
not to mention it costs $1120 at time of vehicle purchase…
they have misrepresented the product specs…and not provided us with a reliable/safe/stable 9.6 kW EVSE - their own software admits to that - give me my money back and I'll purchase something that is mobile that doesn't need to be fiddled with to get it to meet it's specified performance level.
I received the notice regarding the “free” 50% reduction in charging capacity for my Porsche Mobile Charger Connect (PMCC) provide/required for $1120 EVSE purchase for my 2020 Taycan Turbo. At the time of purchase the PMCC (an industry standard North American J-1772 EVSE) was sold/marketed/represented as a 9.6 kW/40 amp EVSE. This “free” reduction in charging capacity effectively reduces the unit charging capacity to 4.8 kW/20 amps thereby doubling the time it takes to charge my 2020 Porsche Taycan. By Porsche’s own specifications it takes 9.5 hour with a 9.6 kW EVSE to full charge my 2020 Taycan Turbo, but with the reduced capacity noted in the eMail this time will now dilate to over 19 hours to accomplish the same level of charge. This is both a disappointment and unexpected change in specification after purchase, with no apparently alternatives noted to restore expected and specified charging rates.
The eMail also notes the reduction in charging capacity for “NEMA industrial plugs” - but fails to mention which if any/all NEMA plugs available for the PMCC are affected by the 50% reduction. In fact the letter is so willfully vague regarding this change that it leads me to believe Porsche either does not fully understand the impact of this change, or if they do they are terrified by the potential liability of such a drastic and unannounced unilateral reduction/change in vehicle specifications and operating parameters. Positioning this as a “free” modification is height of hubris and does not appear to be a customer focused solution. The eMail leaves me with more questions than answers.
At this time I am requesting Porsche’s official response to the the following questions so that I may evaluate my Taycan ownership experience going forward:
Question #1
Can Porsche confirm at this time that my 2020 Taycan Turbo retains the ability to charge at a rate of 9.6 kW @ 240V @ 40 amps if I am using a suitable non-Porsche EVSE? Or is this change a reduction in vehicle max charging specifications and the new maximum charge rate is 4.8 kW/ @ 240V @ 20 amps?
Question #2
For which of the 5 available “NEMA industrial plugs” does the 50% reduction apply. Porsche manufactures and sells/provided 5 separate NEMA supply cables for the PMCC
NEMA 5-15 supply cable - 12 amp 1.44 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
NEMA 6-30 supply cable - 24 amp 5.76 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
NEMA 14-30 supply cable - 24 amp 5.76 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
NEMA 6-50 supply cable - 40 amps 9.6 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
NEMA 14-50 supply cable - 40 amps 9.6 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
Does the 50% reduction in charging capacity affect only some of the NEMA industry plugs or all of the NEMA industrial plugs?
Question #3
Does Porsche plan to update their Taycan specifications published in print and online to note that to achieve the published 9.5 hour charge time advertised for the Taycan requires the additional purchase of a non-Porsche EVSE - since the included EVSE (PMCC) is no longer rated for it’s full capacity given this notice?
Question #4:
Does Porsche plan to provide any restitution/remediation/reimbursement given the reduction in their EVSE supplied equipment? I would’ve never agreed or contemplated or considered the purchase of a 20 amp EVSE in 2020 given the units substandard performance at the time and current state of the art, 20 amp 4.8 kW charge rate is too slow to meet my daily vehicle needs and will cause charging session to fall outside my PG&E off-peak billing time periods, increasing the cost of ownership going forward.
Continued use of a 4.8 kW EVSE is not an option for me and I feel the product purchase should be reimbursed or the charging reduction resolved. I purchased a 9.6 kW charge rate vehicle, authorized an electrician to install a 9.6 kW capable circuit for my garage, obtained county permits inspecting and approving a 9.6 kW circuit for my EV usage, and obtain govt. tax incentives for a 9.6 kW charging circuit - a unilateral reduction in that charging capacity by a substandard product is not acceptable and some accommodation must be considered moving forward. The lack of any acknowledgement of that fact is simply ridiculous.
Question #5:
Does Porsche still recommend customers install a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 9.6 kW electrical circuit for their homes given that the PMCC can no longer fully utilized that circuit. If Porsche does not recommend installation of a 50 amp circuit- what circuit size does Porsche recommend? And what NEMA industrial plug would you recommend be paired with an appropriate sized electrical circuit to match the PMCC’s 20 amp capabilities? And does Porsche plan to provide a NEMA industrial plug supply cable that matches the PMCC maximum 20 amp rating?
Question #6:
Given that Porsche does not currently offer a 9.6 kW capable EVSE does Porsche have at this time a recommended alternative EVSE that can match the Taycan’s maximum L2 charging specification of 9.6 kW? There are many choices available that can apparently achieve the 9.6 kW charge rate but being a Porsche customer I would give great weight to any EVSE 9.6 kW product recommendation as I consider a suitable alternative.
I look forward to the answers to the above questions as simply telling me my charging time has doubled leaving me with no recourse or recommendations going forward is simply an un-acceptable customer experience. Again Porsche either does not realize the fleet wide and individual impact this will cause or they do, and if they and believe the current eMail/response is sufficient, well then I am deeply disappointed as a Porsche customer.
I look forward to a timely response to the above questions as a 4.8 kW charge rate going forward is unsustainable for my continued vehicle ownership.
I take issue with this paragraph from the eMail - and shows how disingenuous Porsche is being…
Original quote:
High temperatures can occur in the plug socket when charging the vehicle using the Porsche Mobile Charger in conjunction with NEMA industrial plugs, due to the higher charging current. In certain situations,this can lead to heat damage to the electrical socket.
this is what they should say
High temperatures can occur in the plug socket when charging the vehicle using the Porsche Mobile Charger in conjunction with NEMA industrial plugs, due to the rated and expected and documented 9.6 kW charging current. In certain situations, use of this unit at it's fully rated level of 9.6 kW can lead to heat damage to the electrical socket.
translation - if you use our unit as we advertised it - it can't handle it thermally.
it's not a "higher" current level we are using - it is exactly at the level it is expected/documented to perform at that it can fail.
Last edited by daveo4porsche; 09-29-2022 at 05:31 PM.
yes, you can crank it up but it won't remain there, you will have to crank it up every time it powers up.
for me that would be a big PIA
or it reverts to 20 amps during a power blip while you're asleep causing the vehicle to not be charged on time
scenario:
plug vehicle in
PMCC wakes up
you adjust amps from 20 amp to 40 amps for th ump-tenth time
PMC charging computer calculates 2 am time to start charging to "hit" the 6 am departure time @ 85% (4 hour charging session required @ 9.6 kW - 38.4 kWh required…)
you walk away
you go to sleep
vehicle starts charging at 2 am as Porsche's computer calculated since you set the AMP's to 40 amps 9.6 kW
power blips (30 seconds off) @ 2:30 am
PMCC reboots and restores the 20 amp default
remaining time 3.5 hours @ 4.8 kW - so it will only delivery 16.8 kWh delivered by 6 am
so including the 4.8 kW delivered in the first 1/2 hour
and the 16.8 kWh delivered after the power blip
you received 21.6 kWh charging instead of 38.4 kWh
a shortfall of 16.8 kWh or about 50 miles less driving range than planned
yeah this is no problem what so ever to have the vehicle not charge as expected overnight - the forums are not littered with people desparate to debug why they can't get the Taycan to charge to the right level over night or on time and figure out timers vs. profiles and Porsche's overly complex charging software - this additional factor is going to cause no problems what so ever…cause it works so well now.
and you get in the car to go to work at 6:15 am and don't have the expected charge level…
this does affect me because I get lots of power blips where I live - 12-40 a month less than 30 second but more than 2 second power blips a month are common - many while I'm asleep - this makes the PMCC unreliable and Porsche's departure based charge scheduling is even more impacted by this because it's a "just in time" design - and will not absorb charging interruptions - if they had schedule based charging to start "as soon as possible" - I'd start charging every night at 11 pm (off peak) and if the power goes out it can resume afar the power comes back even at a lower rate and still be ready in the morning…
yeah this is great fix - no problem what so ever - Porsche is be applauded for making this very reasonable change and educating us that we really don't need 9.6 kW charging level
because constant feedback about EV's that I've received over the past demand is that EV's charge too fast and no one cares how long it takes - in fact EV's charge so fast that virtually no one cares or brings that up as a concern when discussing or considering EV's…it's a good thing that Porsche has made it take twice as long to charge my Taycan.
Last edited by daveo4porsche; 09-29-2022 at 06:11 PM.
There is a recall on the Audi mobile charger that comes with the vehicle that also had the firmware changed so that it always starts in the low power mode; although it can be manually changed to the high power mode. I’m sure the Audi/Porsche units are identical or at least quite similar although it comes included with the Audi.
Chatter on the etron forum was that this was done not because there was an issue with the EVSE per se, but rather there were cases of poor installation/cheap components used leading to overheating/fire hazard at the plug at the owners home. This was VW Corporate’s way of trying to mitigate those risks as best they could.
Chatter on the etron forum was that this was done not because there was an issue with the EVSE per se, but rather there were cases of poor installation/cheap components used leading to overheating/fire hazard at the plug at the owners home. This was VW Corporate’s way of trying to mitigate those risks as best they could.
Is the problem in the wiring or is it just cheap plugs?
When we had the electrical redone at the place I rent, the electrician insisted on replacing all the old power plugs with new modern ones. And one reason I do not think it is a scam, my friend who has an old townhouse has noticed browning and even some smell for two of her old power plugs and at the time we checked that too much power was not being drawn. We were pulling 10 amps for what should have been 15 amp plugs and they showed sign of damage.
They should have set the 6-50/14-50 default to 32 amps, then allow adjusting upward to 40 amps. Main reason is that a lot of 6-50 and 14-50 receptacles are installed on 40 amp circuits. This is an exception allowed by the National Electrical Code (NEC) - since there are no NEMA "40 amp" receptacles. So following the 80% requirement required by the NEC for continuous loads, such as EV charging, 32 amps would be correct for such circuits. Considering that many are clueless as to whether they are plugging into a 40- or 50-amp circuit, setting the default to 32 amps would be a safe thing to do. (As "Brand T" found out with their Gen 1 Mobile Connector. In the Gen 2 version, they set a 32 amp max, rather than 40 amps.)
For 6-30 and 14-30, those plugs and receptacles are physically essentially identical to their 6-50 and 14-50 counterparts, but with slightly different blade orientation. So 24 amps should always be fine.
Do the "supply cables" have temperature sensors built into the plugs?
Is the problem in the wiring or is it just cheap plugs?
When we had the electrical redone at the place I rent, the electrician insisted on replacing all the old power plugs with new modern ones. And one reason I do not think it is a scam, my friend who has an old townhouse has noticed browning and even some smell for two of her old power plugs and at the time we checked that too much power was not being drawn. We were pulling 10 amps for what should have been 15 amp plugs and they showed sign of damage.
For 120V circuits, the electricians will usually use the cheapest/fastest receptacles they can get away with. This means using cheapo $0.50 "residential grade" receptacles and wiring using the "back stab" holes (which have a little knife that cuts into the conductor) rather than the screw terminals. For table lamps and small appliances, you'd never know the difference. For an "hours at a time" high current continuous load like EV charging, big difference.
Best is to go to your favorite big box hardware store and buy a commercial or industrial "spec" grade receptacle for a few dollars. Once you hold one in your hand and compare to a residential grade receptacle, you'll realize it is money well spent. Then either wire using the screw terminals, or the built-in clamps where you insert the wires into the holes and use the screws to tighten the clamps.
When I bought my house back in the 1990s, I tested every receptacle for polarity and where possible, proper safety grounding. Found and fixed a number of problems. I also replaced every switch in the house. Some of the old ones literally crumbled in my hand as I removed them. It is a wonder the house didn't burn down on the previous owner.
Is the problem in the wiring or is it just cheap plugs?
When we had the electrical redone at the place I rent, the electrician insisted on replacing all the old power plugs with new modern ones. And one reason I do not think it is a scam, my friend who has an old townhouse has noticed browning and even some smell for two of her old power plugs and at the time we checked that too much power was not being drawn. We were pulling 10 amps for what should have been 15 amp plugs and they showed sign of damage.
Earl Colby Pottinger (BEV Lover)
we don't know - I know other EVSE's do not have similar problems with similar plugs - but it's pretty clear Porsche thinks/knows there is a problem given the OTA update setting units to 50% - the issues was pretty throughly hashed out 2 years ago in this thread…
the conclusion seems to be Porsche choose a "safe" wire gauge for their North American power supply cables (10 gauge AWG) but that it was a poor choice given it's foreseeable thermal characteristics - coupling that poor choice with a cheap/wonky/poorly-installed NEMA plugs is probably two separate problems when brought together that amplify each other…no one side of the problem is solely responsible but mix them together and it can go poorly…
this supply cable has been in the VW/Audi/Porschde parts bin for at least 8 years and was originally used with 32 amp EVSE's for their Hybrid's including the 918 Spyder - I doubt anyone remotely considered "updating" the part to a higher gauge wire, and a cursory examination of EE design tables show that 10 gauge wire is safe if properly insulated for 9.6 kW loads - but the thermal rise for this load is expected to be high -but not unsafe
my opinion is: 10 AWG wire is safe but a poor choice given foreseeable thermal characteristics for a _MOBILE_ 9.6 kW/40 amp product that is going to be handled by bare hands shortly after/during normal use.
couple that expected/predicted thermal rise with an enclosed decorative box and some higher ambient temps in warmer climates and the temperature of the supply cable can be down right hot - but not electrically unsafe…
picture of my unit from 2 years - in 64F ambient temperatures
what we can state is:
other 9.6 kW EVSE's in North America tend to ship with 8 or 6 AWG supply cables rather than the 10 AWG choice Porsche is shipping with
using other EVSE's with these same plugs demonstrate fewer problems
and Porsche buried in this tech update is a recommendation for an "industrial" grade NEMA plug (Hubble is called out by name) and is the same recommendation as Tesla, Lucid, Rivian
I think we can say a cheap non-industrial grade NEMA 14-50/6-50 socket will not improve things…
Last edited by daveo4porsche; 09-30-2022 at 05:26 PM.
there are at least 3 separate problems with the PMC+/PMCC units - but they are hard to deal with individually…
a poor choice of 10 AWG supply cable wire for a 40 amp EVSE? - cord can exceed 160F surface temps in normal use in mild ambient temperatures - over 190F has been reported…
cheap/poorly installed NEMA sockets (not under porches control) - we have known issue of "melted" plug sockets
the unit DOES overheat and shutdown in normal use in certain climates and usage patterns
other EVSE's do not seem to demonstrate similar problems…
the 3 problem above are not universally true in all circumstances, but can occur separately or together in certain circumstances…the ONLY solution porsche has is to:
redesign/replace the unit
reduce the electrical draw to reduce the thermal loads
withdraw the units from service and direct customers to alternate non-Porsche EVSE vendors
my $200 Tesla Corded Charger running at a full 9.6 kW does not - melt sockets (cheap or otherwise), overheat, or have a power supply cable that reaches 190F in normal use - go figure.
is Porsche's choice of 10 AWG wire the core cause here for all these issues?
I'm not qualified to comment (and few on the internet are) but I think we can say it's not helping…but it may not be the problem.
Last edited by daveo4porsche; 09-30-2022 at 06:32 PM.
09-29-2022 | 04:06 PM
