Road Trip Planning Guide (Recommendations from a 1400 mile trip in two travel days)

[Kingske]

I'm guessing it was some sort of a "safety check"...

I don't really have anything "against" the PMCC. Comparatively, I simply think its way too expensive and not quite as flexible as the Mustart Travelmaster. (In fact, in threads where folks were blaming the 12V battery failure on the PMCC I actually stood up for it...)

It is indeed unreasonably expensive but works rather well IMHO.

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[daveo4EV]

I’m not sure why so many people are out to defend a $3,200 EVSE (the PMCC parts price if you buy the components from Porsche separately) and that price is before you pay Porsche $700+ for each adapter cable that you’d need for a road warrior kit. Especially given that Porsche has made questionable decisions with regards to the wire gauge they ship with the North American 40 amp supply cables - which during spring and summer were/are points of discussion about heating issues during use…

the PMCC is:

• un-necessarily large
• un-necessarily heavy
• outragously expensive compared to other EVSE’s available - and in this case unjustified with any "Porsche" advantage (style or functionality)
• lacks a full suite of North American plug adapters
  • and some that it does offer really aren’t that useful (NEMA 6-30??? seriously?)
• ships with substandard wire gauge which causes it to get too hot to the touch when used under mild ambient conditions
  • when confronted with the temperatures Porsche recommends not actually using the PMCC at it’s full 40 amp capacity cause it gets too warm to comfortably handle
• there are very high quality alternatives for literally 1/10th the cost

the PMCC is quite simply not the highest quality, most functional, best product in it’s category (mobile EVSE’s) - but it is by far the most expensive - by quite a margin.

The Porsche premium in this product space is simply outrageous price gouging with no comiserate improvement in functionality, quality, flexibility, or even suitablity for it’s designated task of being a mobile EVSE.

unlike others on this forum I will say - the PMCC is not a high quality porsche product - and the north america product offering is sub-standard, it overheats for human touch, and as mentioned outrageously expensive for what it is vs. higher quality competitive products.

there are way way way better choices that are: lighter, smaller, more portable, more flexible, higher quality, and embarrassingly less money. (you can get a full Mustart EVSE kit with all adapters for less money than a single PMCC supply cable).

the PMCC is NOT a good EVSE in the North American market - there are way better choices.

if the PMCC was not included in the price of the Taycan there would be almost no reason to pay Porsche even a discounted price for their product separately and I would 100% recomend (with experience, facts, and data) that customers are better off with virtually any other EVSE available for the North American market. With other EVSE’s you receive a higher quality product, a more functional product, and save a substantial amount of money.

Porsche is not your best option in this space.

 

[evanevery]

It is indeed unreasonably expensive but works rather well IMHO.

Have you tried acquiring different cables/plugs for it? ...or are you using plug adapters? ...did you option the 3-prong cable (NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 6-30) or the 4-prong cable (NEMA 14-50) with your car?

For folks who want to use the the PMCC with max flexibility, I think its important that they option the charger with a (3-prong) NEMA 6-50 as you can easily find adapters for using 3-prong plugs with 4-prong sockets.

Even if the charger itself doesn't care about the neutral leg (which appears to be the case), the industry simply doesn't make "generic" adapters to simply ignore the neutral wire in a devices PLUG. (Generally, MOST devices which have a 4-prong PLUG actually DO use the neutral wire). Although you can find these adapters few and far between they usually come with substantial warnings about using only for very specific applications/equipment and fully at your own risk...

 

[evanevery]

...the PMCC is NOT a good EVSE in the North American market - there are way better choices.

Although I agree with this completely, many Taycan owners are already past the point of owning the device.

Personally, I would never suggest it as an optimal solution, but perhaps we can help folks make the best of what they already have (like suggesting a NEMA 6-50 plug which can be generically adapted without having to buy lots of other very expensive Porsche cables)

Is there any way to manually "throttle" the demand of the PMCC if you adapt a 50A plug down to a 30A socket? ...or will the PMCC try and pull the full 50A (40A) load?

For the $700 dollars it costs for ONE extra Porsche adapter cable, I can buy a complete Mustart TravelMaster ($380) and six additional adapter cables ($50 each). ...and as the TravelMaster already comes with 2 cables, I'm not even sure there are six more left to buy!

 

[daveo4EV]

@evanevery I agree - since the PMCC comes with every Taycan there is no reason to rush out and replace it with a non-Porsche option.

and the PMCC is “functional” as a stay at home charger that comes with the vehicle - if all you are doing is using the PMCC mounted in your garage to charge your taycan there is no reason to purchase anything else…the fact that it overheats is not an issue if you never plan to handle the PMCC - which in the case of “home charging” overnight is NO issue - the PMCC overheating issue is only a real issue in the context of the device being uncomfortably warm/hot to human touch during and shortly after a 40 amp charging session - if you are not handling the PMCC during/after a charging session (which is the case of at home overnight usage) there is no real issue here.

however _IF_ you are exploring mobile charging solutions (i.e. what charger should I bring with me on a road trip) - I would suggest rather than paying porsche outrageous prices for additional NEMA supply cables - that you simply leave the PMCC mounted in your garage for your home charging needs and explore other cheaper, higher quality, most flexible options for your “in car” mobile/travel charging solutions…

• if you have an existing EVSE garage setup - leave the PMCC in it’s bag and never unpack it - just use your existing EV charger
• if you have no EVSE - the PMCC is fine, mount it in your garage, plug it in, and never bother with it again
• if you desire a good mobile EVSE to take with you on trips - I’d humbly suggest invest in a non-Porsche mobile EVSE that is lighter, smaller, and more flexible - leaving the big heavy overheating PMCC at home. And you’ll save lots and lots of money vs. building out a PMCC based travel kit.

even with adapters for the PMCC - it still remains heavy and bulky for road-warrior trip charging duty - my preference and recommendation is to explore a separate dedicated mobile EVSE for you away from home EV charging needs - leaving the PMCC at home mounted in your garage - and since most people do not NEED a mobile charging solution, this means the PMCC is just fine as an at home charger…

I’ll humbly disagree however about investing _ANY_ money what so ever into a PMCC travel kit - and rather encourge people to redirect any monies they consider spending towards the goal of a travel kit for charging to non-Porsche based solutions.

 

[Kingske]

@evanevery I agree - since the PMCC comes with every Taycan there is no reason to rush out and replace it with a non-Porsche option.

and the PMCC is “functional” as a stay at home charger that comes with the vehicle - if all you are doing is using the PMCC mounted in your garage to charge your taycan there is no reason to purchase anything else…the fact that it overheats is not an issue if you never plan to handle the PMCC - which in the case of “home charging” overnight is NO issue - the PMCC overheating issue is only a real issue in the context of the device being uncomfortably warm/hot to human touch during and shortly after a 40 amp charging session - if you are not handling the PMCC during/after a charging session (which is the case of at home overnight usage) there is no real issue here.

however _IF_ you are exploring mobile charging solutions (i.e. what charger should I bring with me on a road trip) - I would suggest rather than paying porsche outrageous prices for additional NEMA supply cables - that you simply leave the PMCC mounted in your garage for your home charging needs and explore other cheaper, higher quality, most flexible options for your “in car” mobile/travel charging solutions…

• if you have an existing EVSE garage setup - leave the PMCC in it’s bag and never unpack it - just use your existing EV charger
• if you have no EVSE - the PMCC is fine, mount it in your garage, plug it in, and never bother with it again
• if you desire a good mobile EVSE to take with you on trips - I’d humbly suggest invest in a non-Porsche mobile EVSE that is lighter, smaller, and more flexible - leaving the big heavy overheating PMCC at home. And you’ll save lots and lots of money vs. building out a PMCC based travel kit.

even with adapters for the PMCC - it still remains heavy and bulky for road-warrior trip charging duty - my preference and recommendation is to explore a separate dedicated mobile EVSE for you away from home EV charging needs - leaving the PMCC at home mounted in your garage - and since most people do not NEED a mobile charging solution, this means the PMCC is just fine as an at home charger…

I’ll humbly disagree however about investing _ANY_ money what so ever into a PMCC travel kit - and rather encourge people to redirect any monies they consider spending towards the goal of a travel kit for charging to non-Porsche based solutions.

Agree, as a travel option the PMCC is not an appropriate choice at all for the reasons quoted above, despite the "Mobile" in its name. As a home/garage car charger it is quite OK (the overheating is not a grave problem) but I would never spend that kind of money on it if it would not have been a $1,120 obligatory "option" for my MY2020 Taycan. It itches a bit to see that its price dropped to $0 for the MY2021 Taycan. Porsche probably understands now how its PMCC ranks against the competition value-wise.

 

[Kingske]

Have you tried acquiring different cables/plugs for it? ...or are you using plug adapters? ...did you option the 3-prong cable (NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 6-30) or the 4-prong cable (NEMA 14-50) with your car?

For folks who want to use the the PMCC with max flexibility, I think its important that they option the charger with a (3-prong) NEMA 6-50 as you can easily find adapters for using 3-prong plugs with 4-prong sockets.

Even if the charger itself doesn't care about the neutral leg (which appears to be the case), the industry simply doesn't make "generic" adapters to simply ignore the neutral wire in a devices PLUG. (Generally, MOST devices which have a 4-prong PLUG actually DO use the neutral wire). Although you can find these adapters few and far between they usually come with substantial warnings about using only for very specific applications/equipment and fully at your own risk...

I have not tried any other adapters or cables than the NEMA 14-50, but I did experience that Neutral is not used by or relevant for the PMCC (or for any other EVSE, I guess).

 

[daveo4EV]

@Kingske to date I have never seen any evidence of _ANY_ North American J-1772 EVSE actually using the Neutral connection/wire - in fact in the Porsche Supply cable - the Neutral "position" in the connect lacks a connductor/wire - with conductors only present for 2x120 V hots and ground…

Clipper creek's EVSE install instructions and wiring diagrams also note not to wire up the neutral in a 240 volt circuit, and Tesla's 240 volt chargers as make no use of any neutral…

Neutral is not a thing with regards to 240 volt L2 J-1772 charging in North America - and is ignored/unused in every L2 EVSE that I'm aware of.

 

[evanevery]

Its not so much whether any charger actually USES the neutral wire...

It is more of a consideration that most OTHER equipment which has a 4-prong plug MIGHT very well be using the neutral wire.

As such, very few companies which make generic adapter plugs are going to risk all the legal and functional hazards to produce an adapter which "downgrades" a 4-prong plug to fit a 3-prong socket (simply by ignoring the neutral wire in the plug).

From a generic perspective: You can safely upgrade a 3-prong plug to use a 4-prong socket by simply ignoring the neutral in the socket. The reverse is not possible. At least not safely and reliably...

Its not whether the PMCC uses the neutral wire (we can be pretty sure it doesn't), its whether you are going to be able to actually find suitable adapters if you option the 4-prong variant... (I know you can if you look hard enough but they are "renegade" adapters, plastered with warnings, intended for a very specific application, pretty expensive, and can be very dangerous if mis-applied...)

 

[evanevery]

IOW: If you option the NEMA 6-50 (3-prong) cable on the PMCC you are going to be able to find many more generic adapters for alternate sockets (inc NEMA 14-50) than if you option the NEMA 14-50 (4-prong) cable...

The reverse is also true...

IMHO: All your sockets (in your garage) should be NEMA 14-50 (4-prong) and all your devices NEMA 6-50 (3-prong) if at all possible. This gives you maximum flexibility about what can be plugged in to your sockets - and what sockets your devices can be plugged in to.

 

[Scandinavian]

the PMCC is NOT a good EVSE in the North American market - there are way better choices.

I think that applies all over the world, not just North America. I can see no reason whatsoever to buy that charger in Europe either. All the things you have listed apply, too big, too clumsy, adapters far too expensive etc. For fixed installation it works fine and can power up to 22 kW. I never checked the heat from it when I tried it with a Zoe at 22 kW. But using it with the Taycan at 11 kW, there is no heat problem at all. Unit is lukewarm and cables are not warm, slight warmth yes but nothing to worry about.

and the PMCC is “functional” as a stay at home charger that comes with the vehicle - if all you are doing is using the PMCC mounted in your garage to charge your taycan there is no reason to purchase anything else…the fact that it overheats is not an issue if you never plan to handle the PMCC

Completely agree with you! As a fixed charger it works excellent. It will also bring some good statistics and optimised charging if installed with the Porsche Home Energy manager. But that is another 550+ Euro plus installation and expensive sensors.

If you are lucky and have Solar Panels I could see it being a great installation, but expensive. And I am certain there are other EVSE and Energy Managers in the market, that will perform as well at a substantial lower price point.

There is a huge Porsche Tax on the unit without bringing any extra value!!

 

[daveo4EV]

I think that applies all over the world, not just North America.

thank you for your additional information - I'm not going to speak for non-North American markets but your comments confirm my suspicions - the PMCC is simply a big expensive charger for which world wide there are better and cheaper high quality alternatives…if Porsche didn't include/force it with a Taycan purchase I would see _NO_ reason to recommend it.

 

[MaKin]

What are suitable alternatives for route planning and navigation using the PCM or CarPlay apps like Google Maps, Maps.Me etc.?

I recently tested Roads by Porsche but it’s Porsche app... again...

 

[TheFutre]

@daveo4EV
I’m using the PMCC as my dedicated home charger
What is the best 1 or 2 options here in the US for a mobile option?

@evanevery
however _IF_ you are exploring mobile charging solutions (i.e. what charger should I bring with me on a road trip) - I would suggest rather than paying porsche outrageous prices for additional NEMA supply cables - that you simply leave the PMCC mounted in your garage for your home charging needs and explore other cheaper, higher quality, most flexible options for your “in car” mobile/travel charging solutions…

 

[daveo4EV]

1. https://www.mustartsolutions.com/pr...rent-mustart-travelmaster-level2-ev-charger-1
2. https://shop.tesla.com/product/gen-2-mobile-connector-bundle

both are flexible, 32 AMP, EVSE's with good reliability, weight & size, and an excellent set of potential NEMA plug adapters…

the Tesla Mobile charger will require a JDapter/TeslaTap (but I'll argue if you're buying a charger to have with you on the road you must have a TeslaTap/JDapter anyways to be able to use any Tesla L2 chargers you encounter in the wild - so this requirement is simply part of your "kit" - you should have one even if you go with the Mustart) to use it with a Taycan - if you go with the Tesla charger I also highly recommend their Adapter Kit for $200 - you'll need to purchase at least one of the adapters since it only comes with a L1 NEMA 5-15 plug adapter…you can buy them separately or as a kit of 7 adapter.

both of these charger can be had with a core Adapter, all the adapter cables and what not for well under $800…and are excellent travel chargers to use on the road.

more and excruciating detail can be found in this thread…

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

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