PanameraFrank

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Hello all. I wanted to start this thread as a friendly, helpful place on tips for road tripping in a Taycan. Please do not make this thread about glitches, bugs, bad experiences, etc.. the point of this thread is for those of us with extensive road tripping questions to share our tips on how we've done it. Please nice only here.

1) This is the big one. Set realistic expectations. You should be planning an hour detour for every charging stop to get 70% charge. You should be arriving at a charger with enough battery remaining to reach a BACKUP charging location.

2) Plan in advance using Plugshare. Plan not only a primary stop but a backup in case you run into issues.

3) For EA, try to use Porsche Connect once to initiate the charge. Otherwise call the EA number and immediately ask for a free charge to be started. If they ask for more info, insist the problem is known and you're in a hurry. EA reps are usually great about it. If they have trouble on that station, give it 1 more attempt and move to the next charger.

4) If there is anything funky going on with a charger screen or the credit card terminal, GO TO A DIFFERENT STATION. Do not even bother attempting to use an EA charger with a bugged screen or card terminal.

5) Please be aware that sometimes the car will LOCK when you try to initiate the charge, which will FAIL the charge. This doesn't mean the station isn't working. I recommend making sure to unlock the car immediately before plugging in the charger. I'd wager a huge number of "failed" charges are due to this issue, as EA won't know what happened and will just register it as a failure.

6) I strongly advise against using any of the Porsche connect or Nav systems for locating chargers. Use a 3rd party app and enter a physical address into the Nav.
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thecoloradokid

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Frank:

Thank you for taking this on.

I would add that the Porsche navigation system leaves a lot to be desired, so I would also use the A Better Route Planner app. It is traditionally a lot more savvy than the Porsche navigation system.
 

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Two issues I have,
1. is planning a trip and then getting it into the PCM. At least in the Canadian version, the PCM only has EC/EA stations. Adding other chargers is not trivial
2. Driving along and I need to find need a charger. Is there an easy way to do this?
 
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PanameraFrank

PanameraFrank

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Two issues I have,
1. is planning a trip and then getting it into the PCM. At least in the Canadian version, the PCM only has EC/EA stations. Adding other chargers is not trivial
2. Driving along and I find need a need to find a charger. Is there an easy way to do this?
1) Just use the physical address. You can substitute the "pre-warming" of the battery by doing a couple of Sport Plus launches or hard pulls (more fun anyway).

2) Stop and use one of the charging apps (ie.. Plugshare) Really get in the habit of planning where you're going to charge before you get moving, trying to figure it out mid-trip is an easy way to find frustration. When you do stop to charge, re-evaluate your next step.
 
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So I guess something like Hey Porsche, find me a charger doesn't work?
 


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PanameraFrank

PanameraFrank

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So I guess something like Hey Porsche, find me a charger doesn't work?
I would avoid using any Porsche system for finding a charger. I exclusively use Plugshare and physical addresses, it's a much better system.

I only use Connect to initiate an EA charge, otherwise I don't touch it. I never touch any of the charging stuff integrated into the Nav, it's really not a great system and will likely lead to frustration. There are just better 3rd party apps and the Nav handles physical addresses just fine.
 

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Two issues I have,
1. is planning a trip and then getting it into the PCM. At least in the Canadian version, the PCM only has EC/EA stations. Adding other chargers is not trivial
2. Driving along and I need to find need a charger. Is there an easy way to do this?
Don’t have my car yet so take this from someone with no experience- I plan to use the PetroCanada EV app to find stations and manually route to them and include them in my planning. The EA chargers will be used if convenient- just not that many in Southern Ontario that will fit my travel routes.
 

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Don’t have my car yet so take this from someone with no experience- I plan to use the PetroCanada EV app to find stations and manually route to them and include them in my planning. The EA chargers will be used if convenient- just not that many in Southern Ontario that will fit my travel routes.
Totally agree with this. I trust PetroCanada more than I do EC. The biggest issue is you have to put the PC stations in manually and then they only last 30 days (I think).
 


daveo4EV

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my thoughts
  • Planning is required
    • two fast charging stops a day is almost 700 miles of driving seat time - that’s a big road trip day - I don’t think it’s too much to ask to figure out what those two stops are going to be and how likely they are to work.
    • really I mostly do one fast charging stop and pick a hotel with EV charging or near by fast charging
    • 10 day family road trip - that means you need to have checked out 10 charging locations on plugshare - one for each day
  • A better route planner is your friend (ABRP) - use it before your trip - don’t follow it chapter/verse, but it will give you a great place to start your planning and likely elevation and speed aware consumption metrics for different segments of the trip
  • Plugshare is your friend to find chargers and make sure there are recent successful checkins
    • no recent check ins? call the charging network and ask - they have logs - they can see if there have been recent charging sessions that worked
    • a little checking will save a LOT of heartburn
  • DO NOT trust the Porsche Navigation software to make the best choices - it is in fact often wrong, it’s data may be out of date, or flatly incorrect. It is best for you to have situational awareness about what chargers are at any particular location - you are probably correct and Porsche is probably wrong
    • if you do use the Porsche navigation choices - well then have some back up plans - cause if it’s wrong it’s going to be all on you to find another charger.
  • if you _MUST_ rely on a charger that does not have any recent checkins - well then know that you’re being more adventurous - I’ve done this a couple of times and it’s worked out - but oh man was I nervous - that charger _HAD_ to work
    • have a plan for what you’ll do if it’s not working
  • multiple charging network apps - setup and ready to go so you’re not fumbling around creating an account on the side of the road
  • flexibility - i.e. app not working, just swipe your card and move on
  • have backup chargers in mind for each of your stops
  • don’t worry about filling up - sometimes you can hop along at 10 min fast charging stops - making each charging stop on the route less important - not ideal, but possible
  • is a particluar segment a little dicy on the whole range thing - easy drive slightly slower - you’d be amazed at how much further your Taycan can go at 65 mph vs. 72 mph - and for any given segment (one battery charge) we’re talking about a difference of no more than 12 minutes to extend some range - speed is the enemy of range and slower will greatly extend your range should you need
    • if I have a “long segment“ and “low range” in my plan - I spend the 1st half of the segment driving very very slow (62 mph in 65 mph zone - maybe 60 mph if safe)
    • as I get to 1/2 way point I see how we’re doing - normaly we’re doing great
    • now that I’ve saved some battery and it looks like we can make it
    • I add speed back into the equation - more and more speed the closer to the charger I get…
    • I for example have never ever in my life under any circumstances on any day, month, year or otherwise perhaps done 109 mph in a Tesla P85D for the last 10 miles on my way to a supercharger on California I-5 southbound into a Tesla supercharger where is was clear I was going to make it with remaining battery power - I’ve never done that
when fast charging you are _NOT_ paying for kWh’s - you’re paying some money to save you TIME - the “free/included” EA charging saves you $7.50 on a 30 minute “free” session - if the free app isn’t working - is the $7.50 30 minute charge really going to bust you up?
 
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Hello all. I wanted to start this thread as a friendly, helpful place on tips for road tripping in a Taycan. Please do not make this thread about glitches, bugs, bad experiences, etc.. the point of this thread is for those of us with extensive road tripping questions to share our tips on how we've done it. Please nice only here.

1) This is the big one. Set realistic expectations. You should be planning an hour detour for every charging stop to get 70% charge. You should be arriving at a charger with enough battery remaining to reach a BACKUP charging location.

2) Plan in advance using Plugshare. Plan not only a primary stop but a backup in case you run into issues.

3) For EA, try to use Porsche Connect once to initiate the charge. Otherwise call the EA number and immediately ask for a free charge to be started. If they ask for more info, insist the problem is known and you're in a hurry. EA reps are usually great about it. If they have trouble on that station, give it 1 more attempt and move to the next charger.

4) If there is anything funky going on with a charger screen or the credit card terminal, GO TO A DIFFERENT STATION. Do not even bother attempting to use an EA charger with a bugged screen or card terminal.

5) Please be aware that sometimes the car will LOCK when you try to initiate the charge, which will FAIL the charge. This doesn't mean the station isn't working. I recommend making sure to unlock the car immediately before plugging in the charger. I'd wager a huge number of "failed" charges are due to this issue, as EA won't know what happened and will just register it as a failure.

6) I strongly advise against using any of the Porsche connect or Nav systems for locating chargers. Use a 3rd party app and enter a physical address into the Nav.
Great suggestions, Frank.

Driving an EV is not dissimilar to flying a small plane. Every flight requires a flight plan with an emphasis on fuel and always having enough fuel to make an alternate airport. As you say, preparation is key and as someone who has road tripped in a Tesla, it's a discipline that requires a different rhythm and mind set. The Tesla, unlike the Taycan though is not a driver's car and I eagerly await delivery of my Taycan to enjoy a Cirrus SR22 like experience as my wife and I traverse the road.

Thanks for the great topic!
 
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Having a backup plan is by far the best advice for new owners. For my first 2 1000mi road trips, I had backup plans for failures at each stop. The primary was an EA site, but I had several other network chargers identified that would be where to go if EA didn't work. Worst case, I had 50kWh chargers located.

For your first trips, be extra conservative, and give yourself extra time.

Make sure you have identified your backups, and have the apps ready for those other networks. Check stuff in PlugShare.

Luckily, I had no problems in both my long trips, but knowing I was prepared for the worst relieves the worst of the charging anxiety.
 

thecoloradokid

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Following up on some of these other good ideas, I would encourage new owners to take a test run of a couple of hundred miles before embarking on a longer road trip. This will ensure the car is working properly, ensure that you are comfortable in charging the vehicle at a EA location, or somewhere outside of your house.

I drove my vehicle from Denver to Aspen and back just after I got my Taycan. I charged at a couple of EA locations, and a Chargpoint location just to get comfortable with the process. The good thing was that my 12v battery issue popped up just after this drive, so the test run saved me from being stranded far from home in a dead Taycan.
 

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+1 @thecoloradokid - charge at some fast chargers near home before going on a long trip - make sure fast charging is working, apps are setup, if possible try different networks so you’re familiar with each of the networks slight differences in getting a session working

use both an app to activate a session and activate a session with no app (point of sale credit card swipe)

it will also teach you how to physically “place” the car - believe it or not not all stations are well designed and sometimes physically parking the car such that the cable can reach is 1/2 the battle - better to have some practice near home, rather than a dark cold stormy night in an unfamiliar parking lot.

a little local testing and a familiarity will go a long ways vs. doing all this the first time in an unfamiliar location.
 

daveo4EV

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I like having a tablet in the car with all the “EV apps” - all setup, all configured, all ready to go - especially for Plug-share & ABRP - a slightlly bigger screen for the map oriented features of those apps make planning and finding EV chargers much more pleasant - if not a dedicated tablet then a “group” of app’s on your main tablet that you can use for on-the-fly research about your “next stop” - or ok we now need a “new” plan...

don’t be afraid to pull off someplace safe & quiet - and spend a few minutes checking things out using these EV apps to plan your attack for the day - doing this on a lap top or tablet with a bigger screen will be much less frustrating than your phone - where ever I go when i’m away from home - I have a pretty good idea where _ALL_ chargers are in the town i’m heading to - and most of the chargers “on the way” - so if I need to use one I kinda already know what my options are.
 

daveo4EV

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NOTE: if you have a mobile EVSE with you (like the PMCC or others) you are NEVER truly stranded - your Taycan can charge anywhere you can find an electrical plug - and electricity is fairly ubiquitous (except in Texas in the winter, or California during fire season)…

you can charge your Taycan _ANYWHERE_ - _IF_ you have the time. Yep that’s it! TIME! If you have your PMCC with you and a NEMA 14-50 supply cable - you can charge at ANY camp-ground that has RV hook ups…you can charge using aunt betty’s dryer plug, or uncle henry’s water heater plug...

you can charge your Taycan anywhere you have access to AC power - it’s just a matter of how long it will take - but honestly if you have any electricity surrounding you at any location you can charge your Taycan - it just may take longer than you’d like.

knowing this your options are when you get someplace and the charger doesn’t work are:
  1. flatbed the Taycan to another charger
  2. find an electrical plug and chill for a few hours
and you don’t need to “fill” your Tayan - you only need to charge long enough to get to the next closest working fast charger - sometimes yeah - a fast charger is broken - but it will only take 2 hours of NEMA 14-50 charging to get enough charge to get to the next closest fast charger.

In my experience an EV will never truly strand you, but you may be delayed if the fast chargers are not working and you’ll have to go to plan “b” with some slow charging - but it takes a lot of work to truly strand yourself if you‘re anywhere that has electricity

ProTips:
  • Campgrounds and RV parks have TT-30 & NEMA 14-50 hook ups - there are a LOT of campgrounds all over the place - your not stranded if you can get to a camp ground with an RV hookup and you have your mobile EVSE with you (like the PMCC)
  • Mechanics/Garages tend to have NEMA 6-50 plugs for arc-welders - 9.6 kW to charge your taycan
  • Pottery Klins are 240 volt 50 amp appliances - hmmmm
  • Hotels sometimes have RV hook ups
  • Hotels sometimes have NEMA 5-20 & 5-15 plugs outside for landscaping equipment
  • any 240 electrical appliance in any home is either 30, 40, or 50 amps 240 volts
It like one of my favorite comedian’s joke - Steven Wright
Anywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
If you have access to any electricity what so ever you’re never really stranded, but you may be delay’d

if you wish to prepare to be the ultimate EV road warrior so you can charge at any electrical plug you may encounter in north america you can review this thread - it will prepare you for the ultimate kit of NEMA adapters should public/fast charging fail you - or you are traveling to locations that will likely have electricity, but no EV chargers…

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/ev-roadwarrior-adapters-“kit”.1364/

if you have an mobile EVSE with you and many many plug adapters - you can never be truly stranded, but you may have to spend some time to dig yourself out of a charging hole.
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