Dear Porsche... (Center Console Lid does not stay open)

atebit

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gnop1950

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I dont really see the problem, its too small and too far behind you to store anything in anyway, anyone that uses the wireless charger on a regular basis deserves a medal for flexibility. Being that most of us are past our physical prime, I consider the inaccessibility a safety feature.
I've been trying to remember when the last time was I opened the center console on any of my cars when driving. Maybe I'm getting old, but I can't remember a single time so while I can sympathize with those that do I don't personally think it will be an issue for me :cool:
 

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I dont really see the problem, its too small and too far behind you to store anything in anyway, anyone that uses the wireless charger on a regular basis deserves a medal for flexibility.
My iPhone 12 with a case charges fine in the center console. Which is interesting since my iPhone will NOT charge in a $50 wireless charger I bought for home. Porsche has some magic in their charger.
 

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That was a fun 4 pages of reading. Love the unanimous hate for this design. I feel the "trick" to get around this design flaw is to actually wrap your arm around the door so the pointy bit is in the pit of your elbow rather than trying to get your whole arm under the door.
 

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Just yesterday I picked up a loaner Cayenne whilst the Taycan is in the shop.

Upon initial button pressing - the mandatory process EVERY MAN does where you press and twist every button, knob, etc - i realized the center console in the Cayenne DOES STAY OPEN....

Now, i need to figure out how to remove it and put it in the Taycan... (although it has these HIDEOUS handles on either side towards the front). I might learn to put up with those IF THE CENTER CONSOLE STAYED OPEN

Porsche Taycan Dear Porsche...  (Center Console Lid does not stay open) handles
 


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yeah, coming from Panamera, I found this unbelievably impossibly stupid. now I found that the way how it "works" is that you have to keep it open with the right hand and operate the contents with the left hand. very frustrating.
One year fast forward, you can learn to bend the right hand in a such way, that you slide it open with the elbow, and then awkwardly bend the forearm into the center console to manipulate the contents of it, eg slide the phone in. Nice.
 

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Any one ever considered its perhaps working as designed ? .. as in to discourage a driver (while they are concentrating on driving) to interact with the storage .. and that its by being a 2 handed operation it is gently encouraging us to consider only plug in/connect to usbs etc while parked and safe, get stuff out of or put in bin, while parked and safe etc
This was also my first thought! The phone charger is inside the storage - so it makes me think the designers wanted you to place your phone inside and make it inaccessible while driving, hence the required two handed operation.

"It's not a bug, it's a feature" ... as annoying as it may seem :headbang:

With that said, I'd love it if someone can come up with a way to improve this.
 

TayTaySD

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Dear Porsche,

Why is it that the cover on my center console does not stay open? Why is it that it does not open to a fully vertical position? Why do I need 2 hands and 1 Elbow to access its contents? Why do I need to get out of the car and use a flashlight to actually be able to see the USB ports so I can plug something in?

I took a look at the hinge this morning hoping there might be something I could design/add to improve the situation. Unfortunately, I don't see a simple way to do this. There also appears to be absolutely no reason you have limited the travel of the lid or not given it the ability to stay open. I thought maybe you had a slider which might not have had the necessary room to rotate. Nope, its just a hinge. Who designed this? Who tested this? Did you ask any users their opinion?

Quite literally, its the only mechanical issue I can think of which really bothers me. Did you have one of your software engineers design this?

A simple redesign of the hinge appears all that would be required. Can you make one available for retrofit to our cars?

PLEASE,

Ed
Another problem, I have not found a way to route a USB cable out of the center console, so it get smashed when you route one out and close the cover. They needed to leave a gap or slot somewhere
 


Superrat

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10 points to anyone who can plug anything into one of the USB ports without having to get fully out of the car.

50 points if you don't have to use a flashlight...

100 points to anyone who can do this while driving...

150 points if it doesn't end up in an accident.

:)
150 points to me… but trust me I feel your pain. As an automotive designer I question a lot of things Car Manufactuers do from a design perspective. The console lid was almost designed as a problem issue so people had something to complain about on this forum. It is beyond me how it got past the design review process while under development. As you say make the hinge stay open and but a small recess or bump out for USB ports so you can find by feel. Horrendous design for sure. When you design the hinge share the dat and those of us with access to 3D Printer can print a replacement part….
SR
 

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This was also my first thought! The phone charger is inside the storage - so it makes me think the designers wanted you to place your phone inside and make it inaccessible while driving, hence the required two handed operation.

"It's not a bug, it's a feature" ... as annoying as it may seem :headbang:

With that said, I'd love it if someone can come up with a way to improve this.
I love it when I find out that things are 'features' and not 'faults'.

Happens a lot with modern cars.
?
 

RAHRCR

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I love it when I find out that things are 'features' and not 'faults'.

Happens a lot with modern cars.
?
Interesting that my Panamera ST does not have this “feature” despite having the same design. The console door stays up. ??
 

Fish Fingers

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Interesting that my Panamera ST does not have this “feature” despite having the same design. The console door stays up. ??
Just shows you how advanced the Taycan is.
They have thought of everything!
?

I even wonder if the alarms going off on the CTs, is that the cars have sensed a burglar somewhere in the area and are just being pre-emptive.
 

ender21

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Just yesterday I picked up a loaner Cayenne whilst the Taycan is in the shop.

Upon initial button pressing - the mandatory process EVERY MAN does where you press and twist every button, knob, etc - i realized the center console in the Cayenne DOES STAY OPEN....

Now, i need to figure out how to remove it and put it in the Taycan... (although it has these HIDEOUS handles on either side towards the front). I might learn to put up with those IF THE CENTER CONSOLE STAYED OPEN

handles.jpg
Ohh I love the handles! I wish my Taycan had them where they’re far more useful than they were in my Cayenne. My understanding is that they’re a Porsche tradition, sort of like the left hand ignition switch.
 

ZenicaNC

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Any one ever considered its perhaps working as designed ? .. as in to discourage a driver (while they are concentrating on driving) to interact with the storage .. and that its by being a 2 handed operation it is gently encouraging us to consider only plug in/connect to usbs etc while parked and safe, get stuff out of or put in bin, while parked and safe etc

Or a simple two handed operation from a Passenger who is not driving and can thus give it more attention than a driver can .. just a thought

?? :stop:
Lol

I had to laugh at this. Porsche resisted cup holders for the very reason you described. Accessing a storage area by tactile feel doesn’t distract me from the rigors of driving.

Even if it were for safety, then it should be universally applied across the brand. It also doesn’t account for the contortions required even while parked. The release mechanism is positioned for the passenger which leads me to conclude Porsche considers this a passenger compartment.

I was hoping to reach the end of this thread to find a solution but alas, that is not the case.
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