[North America] - FAQ: the ultimate guide to the Porsche EVSE PMC+/PMCC/PWCC

daveo4EV · Dec 9, 2022

Dec. 22, 2023 - UPDATE - we have a RECALL folks!! - details here - new power supply cables mid-2024 - https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...to-overheat-20-24-apb6-december-13-2023.18185

I'm tried of collecting all these threads over and over and over again for people that can't use the search function.

the included Porsche EVSE's (PMC+), the optional $1120 PMCC, and now the Porsche Wall Charger (PWCC) have been far from problem free in North America. But some customers have no issues, others do have issues and have been underwhelmed and frustrated by Porsche's response.

hidden original text on date 10/21/2023 (almost exactly a year later)
the PMC+/PMCC are living under a cloud of distrust since as of about Sept. 2022 Porsche has decided/communicated their desire/recommenation to limit the default charge rate to 20 amps (4.8 kW) due to potential electrical thermal problems/reliability - as of Dec. 2022 no long term fix schedule has been announced - some customers have no problems, others have definitive overheating problems, some have had outright failures.

* - the text above pre-dates Porsche's psuedo-requirement/recommendation that a Hubble NEMA socket is used - in that situation i believe Porsche consider's the issue "resolved" and there is no need to run the PMC+/PMCC at 1/2 capacity - while this addresses the thermal interaction issue with low-quality NEMA sockets it does not address the high-nominal operating temperature of the PMC+/PMCC power supply cable - so while the "issue" is resolved in Porsche's mind - I do not consider the issue resolved - but it's fair to say there are not interaction or safety issues when the Porsche EVSE's are used with appropriate/recommended NEMA sockets…I consider Porsche's solution "inadequate" but I know they are not pursing any further resolutions. I do not consider an EVSE that achieve's 160-180F nominal operating temperature "ideal" and certainly not a Mobile charger, especially when there are examples on the market for 1/3 rd the cost that operate at much lower nominal temperatures.

Compatibly with non-Porsche EV's is spotty and if there is a problem with a non-Porsche EV - Porsche has been unresponsive to resolving the issue. Some people think this is horrible, others have trouble seeing why they should care if all they own or will own are Porsche's.

many on the forum have chosen to forgo the Porsche EVSE's and have installed alternatives and they claim they are happy (they may or may not be right). I'm equally sure many lurkers, and people who have never seen an internet forum are happily and blissfully unaware that the internet community thinks they will have problems with their perfectly functional porsche EVSE (i.e. the internet always magnifies the impact of problems, when most of time the issues only affect a fraction of the affected population).

what is true is that other the included PMC+ the Porsche EVSE are quite expensive vs. high-quality competitive alternatives - and in this author's opinion not worth the price premium. They are in fact not a good choice in my opinion - but as with all things YMMV.

but the history is below and I think even the most die hard fan of the Porsche EVSE product line for north America would agree - it's not Porsche's best offering and it is factual documented at this time that Porsche would prefer you use their mobile chargers at 20 amps - doubling your charging time and they have no announced resolution process or schedule to this reduction in published specification (it is sold/marketed/documented to a 40 amp EVSE - but at the moment has challenges operating safely and reliably at that level).

below you will find a collection of pre-existing threads that will accomplish several things:

a non-pharmaceutical solution to insomnia
demonstrate a deep and complex history and evolution of PMC+/PMCC issues and discoveries
alternative therapies for your North American EV charging needs
frustration with Porsche North America
compatibility problems with non-Porsche EV's that may or may not be worth caring about depending on your situation and/or goals
overheating scenarios documented for porsche since Aug. of 2020…
an OTA update that was and then wasn't that reduced charging capacity to 20 amps by default, but could be overridden if you are sufficient motivated
- Porsche has since pulled this version from distribution but provided no revision to undo the "update" - so now some portion of the "fleet" of PMCC's have a "bad" software release that nerf's the unit to 50% - but no revision to restore this behavior which Porsche now claims was an unintentional bug - Porsche claims was a coincidence the software defaulted to 50% along with porsche's written recommendations to set units to 50% - interesting…but I'll take Porsche word at face value here and spot them "confusion" rather than malice
- to my knowledge no additional update has been provided or is available to "undo" this bug.
confused and conflicting dealer recommendations and knowledge
current service bullitin's where Porsche North America is adding stickers and owner manual updates recommending not using the PMC+/PMCC at full capacity
- NOTE: it is a factual result via arbitration that no one at Porsche is able to document what the iconography on the new stickers "means" or is intended to communicate - fact!
arbitration w/Porsche yielding a capitulation that yeah their charger sucks
documented incompatibility with non-Porsche vehicles where Porsche's response was to shrug their shoulders and say "yeah maybe that's true but we don't care".
people who are perfectly happy with their Porsche charger and don't know what all the fuss is about
confused new owners that are unclear about why they are not seeing a full 9.6 kW charge rate

Tooney · Dec 9, 2022

daveo4EV said:
below you will find a collection of pre-existing threads that will accomplish several things:

a non-pharmaceutical solution to insomnia

+1

daveo4EV · Dec 9, 2022

Tooney said:
+1

I'm glad at least one person saw that - I'm trying to be human and funny - this stuff is wonky wonky stuff and all 1st world problems - and I also believe it's serious product design and engineering issues, but I try and not take myself toooo seriously.

Tooney · Dec 9, 2022

Hey, some nights I have insomnia. Reading this forum can be the thing to do, instead of lying in bed trying to get back to sleep.

whan · Dec 9, 2022

"Yo man, TLDR so should I buy the PMC or nah"

daveo4EV · Dec 10, 2022

calling attention to this NTSB article posted here - I've added to the "inventory" in post #1 of this thread - but this deserves a bit of a "bump" - so people "notice"

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

Tooney · Dec 17, 2022

The cables on Porsche Mobile Chargers that are labeled with 16 amp max capacity are being relabled as 40 amp max capacity.

40 amps - problem solved!

whitex · Dec 17, 2022

Tooney said:
The cables on Porsche Mobile Chargers that are labeled with 16 amp max capacity are being relabled as 40 amp max capacity.

40 amps - problem solved!

Porsche should patent this new engineering method before some unscrupulous competitor copies them!

Tooney · Dec 17, 2022

I guess someone at Porsche (and/or elsewhere) has gotten interested in the details of their EVSEs. At least legally....

Tooney · Jan 6, 2023

@daveo4EV
Below is clip from Porsche email today - subject: Porsche Mobile Charger Campaign

Porsche Taycan [North America] - FAQ: the ultimate guide to the Porsche EVSE PMC+/PMCC/PWCC 1673029599747

Nothing wrong with Porsche's charger - just a problem with inadequate household electrical systems.

daveo4EV · Jan 6, 2023

Tooney said:
@daveo4EV
Below is clip from Porsche email today - subject: Porsche Mobile Charger Campaign

Nothing wrong with Porsche's charger - just a problem with inadequate household electrical systems.

yep - https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...g-they-dont-think-they-have-a-problem….14304/

added this link to the trove of documentation in post #1 of this thread

Porsche's response so far -

Tooney · Jan 6, 2023

Also note "high temperatures can occur in the outlet (receptacle) when charging your vehicle".
So THAT'S where those damaging high temps come from.......

daveo4EV · Jan 6, 2023

Tooney said:
Also note "high temperatures can occur in the outlet (receptacle) when charging your vehicle".
So THAT'S where those damaging high temps come from.......

the socket manufactures it's own thermal stress in defiance of the laws of thermodynamics/conservation-of-energy - it's not that Porsche's NEMA male-plug is getting too hot due to trying to shove 9.6 kW of power into a 6 kW wire and then subsequently transferring the massive amounts of heat due to electrical resistance - the plug itself is generating the heat - and in fact might be a power source more powerful than home solar panels…

the type of damage caused in this thread…

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/porsche-mobile-charger-recall.14275/#post-214742

totally 100% th plugs fault - it's self destructing because it can't handle the power/performance of the Taycan - this is not the result of accumulated thermal stress of a poorly designed power supply cable that routinely achieves operating temperatures of 140F (or more) in normal use and overtime causes cheaper Leviton plug sockets to eventual fail when their cheaper plastics subjected to repeated thermal stress causes a structural failure…induced by unnecessary thermal stress.

the plug below self destructed and lost it's will to live because it couldn't handle the awesome power of the Taycan!!!

totally 100% not Porsche's fault that their cable routine achieves operating temperatures of 140F+ in normal operation…

Porsche Taycan [North America] - FAQ: the ultimate guide to the Porsche EVSE PMC+/PMCC/PWCC IMG_2959

Tooney · Jan 6, 2023

daveo4EV said:
the socket manufactures it's own thermal stress in defiance of the laws of thermodynamics/conservation-of-energy - it's not that Porsche's NEMA male-plug is getting too hot due to trying to shove 9.6 kW of power into a 6 kW wire and then subsequently transferring the massive amounts of heat due to electrical resistance - the plug itself is generating the heat - and in fact might be a power source more powerful than home solar panels…

the type of damage caused in this thread…

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/porsche-mobile-charger-recall.14275/#post-214742

totally 100% th plugs fault - it's self destructing because it can't handle the power/performance of the Taycan - this is not the result of accumulated thermal stress of a poorly designed power supply cable that routinely achieves operating temperatures of 140F (or more) in normal use and overtime causes cheaper Leviton plug sockets to eventual fail when their cheaper plastics subjected to repeated thermal stress causes a structural failure…induced by unnecessary thermal stress.

the plug below self destructed and lost it's will to live because it couldn't handle the awesome power of the Taycan!!!

totally 100% not Porsche's fault that they cable gets to 140F+ in normal operation…

Apparently the photos showing temperature readings of the outlet, plug, and cables that you and others posted in here a couple years ago were EVSE "disinfo"......

daveo4EV · Jan 6, 2023

Tooney said:
Apparently the photos showing temperature readings of the outlet, plug, and cables that you and others posted in here a couple years ago were EVSE "disinfo"......

totally - apparently the temps are coming "from inside the socket" and we actually discovered a mini-reactor making it's own power - I'm looking to harness it for my home power needs - could be a game changer.

[North America] - FAQ: the ultimate guide to the Porsche EVSE PMC+/PMCC/PWCC

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