Is the PMC+ weatherproof?

[gryphon99]

I've searched the forums but could not find a conclusive answer. I'm waiting for my vehicle to arrive and have read the instruction manual but I couldnt find the weather rating of the PMC+. Does anyone know if you can use it outdoors?

I plan to have a weatherproof NEMA 14-50 enclosure installed at the beach on a pylon under the house. The car and charger will be in the covered parking next to the pylon, but the wind could blow rain on the charger and it may sit in the sun occasionally depending on the time of day. Of course at the beach any given day it can be it's windy and there is a lot of salt air. I'll only be charging overnight whenever we're there, which is like a couple of times a month.

Any thoughts as to whether there would be danger in this? Has anyone done this regularly without issue?

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[Tooney]

See pages 3 and 20- in manual
https://files.porsche.com/filestore...er-Plus-Operating-and-Installation-Manual.pdf
Page 22 says: Degree of protection IP55 USA Enclosure 3R.
Reading those ratings, looks good unless you spray a hose on it.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

I was told it is fine as long as you don’t submerge it. I have had no issues using it in the rain and have one fixed outside that my wife uses. It gets wet but it is fine

 

[W1NGE]

I've searched the forums but could not find a conclusive answer. I'm waiting for my vehicle to arrive and have read the instruction manual but I couldnt find the weather rating of the PMC+. Does anyone know if you can use it outdoors?

I plan to have a weatherproof NEMA 14-50 enclosure installed at the beach on a pylon under the house. The car and charger will be in the covered parking next to the pylon, but the wind could blow rain on the charger and it may sit in the sun occasionally depending on the time of day. Of course at the beach any given day it can be it's windy and there is a lot of salt air. I'll only be charging overnight whenever we're there, which is like a couple of times a month.

Any thoughts as to whether there would be danger in this? Has anyone done this regularly without issue?

As pointed out, IP55 so pretty safe for outside use.

That said some shelter would be better.

My neighbour has his PMCC fully exposed to the elements for 12 months now with ill effect.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

My neighbour has his PMCC fully exposed to the elements for 12 months now with ill effect.

As pointed out, IP55 so pretty safe for outside use.

That said some shelter would be better.

My neighbour has his PMCC fully exposed to the elements for 12 months now with ill effect.

do you mean “no ill effect”?

 

[daveo4EV]

I've searched the forums but could not find a conclusive answer. I'm waiting for my vehicle to arrive and have read the instruction manual but I couldnt find the weather rating of the PMC+. Does anyone know if you can use it outdoors?

I plan to have a weatherproof NEMA 14-50 enclosure installed at the beach on a pylon under the house. The car and charger will be in the covered parking next to the pylon, but the wind could blow rain on the charger and it may sit in the sun occasionally depending on the time of day. Of course at the beach any given day it can be it's windy and there is a lot of salt air. I'll only be charging overnight whenever we're there, which is like a couple of times a month.

Any thoughts as to whether there would be danger in this? Has anyone done this regularly without issue?

while the unit itself is pretty good in the weather - in North American the actual plugs NEMA 14-50/6-50/14-30/6-30/5-15 are not that water proof - so you can use the unit in the rain but the where the unit plugs into power may be dicy - so it's not recommended for long term use until you provide a weather proof enclosure for the plug itself

so the unit itself is pretty good, but it's "interface" to power needs consideration if you're planning on using outside year round.

 

[daveo4EV]

something like this is best if you plan to use _ANY_ mobile EVSE outdoors for any length of time (PMC+/PMCC/Tesla/Mustart/etc)…as I noted most EVSE units themselves have some level of water resistance/proof - but the weak link is the actual power supply plug/cable and where it interfaces with the NEMA plug - best to have a weather proof enclosure for the plug - and if possible deep enough and with enough volume to actually take the plug - you still need the box to take a Hubble Commercial grade socket NEMA 14-50/6-50 and it's bigger/deeper than normal NEMA 14-50/6-50 - so finding an enclosure box with the proper size/volume/face-plate for the commercial grade Hubble NEMA 14-50 socket is the trick…

the PMC+/PMCC are fairly water resistance and safe to use outside, but demand a thorough power supply solution for where they plug into the power source.

https://www.amazon.com/RVGUARD-Weatherproof-Electrical-Receptacle-Motorhome/dp/B083LFF2Q1/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3SBOJEVBYBHG9&keywords=nema+14+50+outdoor+enclosure&qid=1684695022&sprefix=nema+14+50+outdoor+enclosure,aps,127&sr=8-5&th=1

 

[gryphon99]

Great! Thanks folks for the helpful information as always. The electrician said they have a waterproof enclosure they use for situations like this. It sounds like I'm all good to go!

 

[daveo4EV]

Great! Thanks folks for the helpful information as always. The electrician said they have a waterproof enclosure they use for situations like this. It sounds like I'm all good to go!

make sure you get the Hubble commercial grade socket along with that enclosure - it's bigger/deeper than the average NEMA 14-50 outlet so it may require a different solution that your electrician is planning…

the proper Hubble socket recommended/required by Porsche is noted in their NTSB charging document - noted here…

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...-related-porsche-ntsb-article-analysis.13902/

honestly high quality hardwired 50 amp (40 amp charge) rate EVSE's are $700 or less - and you can hardwire and waterproof a wall charger - also most wall chargers can be 60 amps (48 amp charge rate) 20% faster charging your Taycan, hardwired in waterproof junction boxes - and they typically come with a 25 ft cord vs. the PMC+ 15ft cord…and they will hold up to the outdoor weather better than the PMC+ - and you can leave the PMC+ in the car to carry with you for when you're away from home.

for an outdoor location with weather a high quality install with a dedicated hardwired wall charger is a serious consideration vs. any mobile EVSE…(and that is before we consider the fact that the PMC+/PMCC are less than stellar EVSE's and have issues - https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...uide-to-the-porsche-evse-pmc-pmcc-pwcc.13886/)

NOTE: given the high cost of copper wire these days high quality 40/50/60 amp gauge wire is actually quite expense for materials cost - and a NEMA 14-50 install requires 4 wires (2 hots, 1 neutral and a ground wire) - a hardwired EVSE only requires 3 wires (2 hots and a ground) - between the savings on not buying a $100-$150 Hubble socket m(the Hubble socket alone is 20% of the cost of the wall box 60 amp charger listed below), not buying a high quality outdoor enclosure, and the lower cost for the wire - I would be unsurprised if the cost difference was negligible - it is certainly going to "discount" the cost of the extra wall mounted EVSE - but you may end up with a 60 amp install vs. a 50 amp install and a longer cable for charging - I can easily see the materials cost being at least $300 less if not more for a hardwired 3 wire install vs. a Hubble-outdoorbox-4 wire install). It may end up only be a few hundred extra including the cost of the Wall mounted EVSE to install it instead of a NEMA 14-50 outdoor socket. A $200-$300 savings for not running the 4th wire depending on length from breaker to install location is also unsurprising - yes high quality copper wire these days is that expensive…no joke. Save $150 on no Hubble socket, $300 on wire - and the actual cost of the $699 60/48 amp wall box is only $250 more - and that before the outdoor enclosure savings…and you end up with a 25ft EVSE charging cable and 20% faster charge rate…

just my $0.02…

just install one of these and be done! hardwired weather proof install, 25ft cord, will charge your standard Taycan 20% faster than the PMC+/PMCC (60 amp breaker vs. 50 amp breaker - 48 amp charge rater vs. 40 amp charge rate).

https://wallbox.com/en_us/pulsar-plus-48a
Pulsar Plus 48A240V (Level 2) | 11.5kW | 25'
$699
adjustable amps from 6-48 amp to accommodate any install breaker size - hardwire it for confidence and safety for outdoor use -

NOTE: the Hubble plug alone is a $100-$150 item - that savings alone discount this charger to close to $500 - and you also then don't need a fancy outdoor plug enclosure…

https://enphase.com/store/ev-chargers/commercial-ev-chargers/hcs-60-ev-charger
HCS-60 EV Charger
48 A, hardwired, ruggedized, 25 ft cable

 

[gryphon99]

make sure you get the Hubble commercial grade socket along with that enclosure - it's bigger/deeper than the average NEMA 14-50 outlet so it may require a different solution that your electrician is planning…

the proper Hubble socket recommended/required by Porsche is noted in their NTSB charging document - noted here…

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...-related-porsche-ntsb-article-analysis.13902/

honestly high quality hardwired 50 amp (40 amp charge) rate EVSE's are $700 or less - and you can hardwire and waterproof a wall charger - also most wall chargers can be 60 amps (48 amp charge rate) 20% faster charging your Taycan, hardwired in waterproof junction boxes - and they typically come with a 25 ft cord vs. the PMC+ 15ft cord…and they will hold up to the outdoor weather better than the PMC+ - and you can leave the PMC+ in the car to carry with you for when you're away from home.

for an outdoor location with weather a high quality install with a dedicated hardwired wall charger is a serious consideration vs. any mobile EVSE…(and that is before we consider the fact that the PMC+/PMCC are less than stellar EVSE's and have issues - https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...uide-to-the-porsche-evse-pmc-pmcc-pwcc.13886/)

NOTE: given the high cost of copper wire these days high quality 40/50/60 amp gauge wire is actually quite expense for materials cost - and a NEMA 14-50 install requires 4 wires (2 hots, 1 neutral and a ground wire) - a hardwired EVSE only requires 3 wires (2 hots and a ground) - between the savings on not buying a $100-$150 Hubble socket m(the Hubble socket alone is 20% of the cost of the wall box 60 amp charger listed below), not buying a high quality outdoor enclosure, and the lower cost for the wire - I would be unsurprised if the cost difference was negligible - it is certainly going to "discount" the cost of the extra wall mounted EVSE - but you may end up with a 60 amp install vs. a 50 amp install and a longer cable for charging - I can easily see the materials cost being at least $300 less if not more for a hardwired 3 wire install vs. a Hubble-outdoorbox-4 wire install). It may end up only be a few hundred extra including the cost of the Wall mounted EVSE to install it instead of a NEMA 14-50 outdoor socket. A $200-$300 savings for not running the 4th wire depending on length from breaker to install location is also unsurprising - yes high quality copper wire these days is that expensive…no joke. Save $150 on no Hubble socket, $300 on wire - and the actual cost of the $699 60/48 amp wall box is only $250 more - and that before the outdoor enclosure savings…and you end up with a 25ft EVSE charging cable and 20% faster charge rate…

just my $0.02…

just install one of these and be done! hardwired weather proof install, 25ft cord, will charge your standard Taycan 20% faster than the PMC+/PMCC (60 amp breaker vs. 50 amp breaker - 48 amp charge rater vs. 40 amp charge rate).

https://wallbox.com/en_us/pulsar-plus-48a
Pulsar Plus 48A240V (Level 2) | 11.5kW | 25'
$699
adjustable amps from 6-48 amp to accommodate any install breaker size - hardwire it for confidence and safety for outdoor use -

NOTE: the Hubble plug alone is a $100-$150 item - that savings alone discount this charger to close to $500 - and you also then don't need a fancy outdoor plug enclosure…

https://enphase.com/store/ev-chargers/commercial-ev-chargers/hcs-60-ev-charger
HCS-60 EV Charger
48 A, hardwired, ruggedized, 25 ft cable

I keep going back and forth regarding a hard-wired wall charger at the beach. I just installed one at my primary residence. Of course I haven't used it yet, waiting on the car. I was trying to not waste the PMC+ that comes with the car. Are there any scenarios a PMC+ would come I'm handy if I have wall chargers at both houses? Would it just sit collecting dust in the garage?

 

[daveo4EV]

I keep going back and forth regarding a hard-wired wall charger at the beach. I just installed one at my primary residence. Of course I haven't used it yet, waiting on the car. I was trying to not waste the PMC+ that comes with the car. Are there any scenarios a PMC+ would come I'm handy if I have wall chargers at both houses? Would it just sit collecting dust in the garage?

the PMC+ is a "mobile" charger which means you can use it when you're traveling someplace other than your two residences - but even then the use case for a mobile charger is declining with the rise of public charging infrastructure - i.e. you rarely need a mobile EVSE anymore if there are EV chargers everywhere you go and stay - and that is increasingly true.

I'm hard pressed to recommend the PMC+/PMCC for any actual duty other than paperweight - but given infrequent use it's good enough to avoid spending the money - however if you're having to spend money to install a circuit for the PMC+/PMCC I'd just recommend going ahead and spending a few hundred $$$ extra and installed a dedicated wall mounted charger (60 amps if you can) - it will be "just better" and will be there when the PMC+/PMCC isn't

the PMC+/PMCC is not a great product, and the major cost is the entire new circuit to support it - storing the PMC+/PMCC away and only carrying it with you when traveling is about all it's good for and not much else.

at the end of the day it's your money and your call, but honestly this is your 1st EV not your last EV - so having good chargers at all your residences will pay dividends for more than just the Taycan.

again my $0.02 and I"m not footing the bill - but I'm betting the savings will cover most/all of the cost to just simply install a walled mounted unit and don't look back.

 

[Tooney]

I'm hard pressed to recommend the PMC+/PMCC for any actual duty other than paperweight - but given infrequent use it's good enough to avoid spending the money - however if you're having to spend money to install a circuit for the PMC+/PMCC I'd just recommend going ahead and spending a few hundred $$$ extra and installed a dedicated wall mounted charger (60 amps if you can) - it will be "just better" and will be there when the PMC+/PMCC isn't

the PMC+/PMCC is not a great product, and the major cost is the entire new circuit to support it - storing the PMC+/PMCC away and only carrying it with you when traveling is about all it's good for and not much else.

+1

 

[gryphon99]

the PMC+ is a "mobile" charger which means you can use it when you're traveling someplace other than your two residences - but even then the use case for a mobile charger is declining with the rise of public charging infrastructure - i.e. you rarely need a mobile EVSE anymore if there are EV chargers everywhere you go and stay - and that is increasingly true.

I'm hard pressed to recommend the PMC+/PMCC for any actual duty other than paperweight - but given infrequent use it's good enough to avoid spending the money - however if you're having to spend money to install a circuit for the PMC+/PMCC I'd just recommend going ahead and spending a few hundred $$$ extra and installed a dedicated wall mounted charger (60 amps if you can) - it will be "just better" and will be there when the PMC+/PMCC isn't

the PMC+/PMCC is not a great product, and the major cost is the entire new circuit to support it - storing the PMC+/PMCC away and only carrying it with you when traveling is about all it's good for and not much else.

at the end of the day it's your money and your call, but honestly this is your 1st EV not your last EV - so having good chargers at all your residences will pay dividends for more than just the Taycan.

again my $0.02 and I"m not footing the bill - but I'm betting the savings will cover most/all of the cost to just simply install a walled mounted unit and don't look back.

That sounds like wise advice I think you convinced me to install the hard-wire. I do like the idea of having a better, more secure permanent charger. That would also be useful if any friends with EVs stay over. I just hope it holds up to the brutal salt air right on the beach. Anything with metal can rust within days if not properly protected.

 

[whitex]

A $200-$300 savings for not running the 4th wire depending on length from breaker to install location is also unsurprising - yes high quality copper wire these days is that expensive…no joke.

How much are you assuming a single AWG6 THHN wire costs?

 

[tchavei]

I keep going back and forth regarding a hard-wired wall charger at the beach. I just installed one at my primary residence. Of course I haven't used it yet, waiting on the car. I was trying to not waste the PMC+ that comes with the car. Are there any scenarios a PMC+ would come I'm handy if I have wall chargers at both houses? Would it just sit collecting dust in the garage?

Imagine you're travelling deep into the country side. No phone coverage, no chargers, only cows and horses. Your Taycan is displaying 3%, you're going to be stranded. Luckily you see a small farm near a hill. You turn there, your Taycan is flashing 0%... You stop, tap on the door. A very friendly (maybe too friendly) farmer opens his door. You explain your situation. He tells you there's no land-line around here, no cell coverage, no public electricity. He does have a diesel generator. You hook up your dusty PMC+ that you never installed and are carrying in your trunk for years, to the generator. You know you're going to spend at least a day charging minimally to get back to civilisation. The farmer invites you for dinner and a night over.
Maybe you get lucky and there's a hot daughter (or son if that's your thing) involved. The possibilities are endless.

Definitely keep the PMC+ for that eventuality.

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