tigerbalm
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Damien
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2020
- Threads
- 86
- Messages
- 3,268
- Reaction score
- 7,522
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Vehicles
- 911 Targa 4 GTS, Fiat 500 EV. Sold: Taycan Turbo S, Taycan 4S
- Thread starter
- #1
Introduction
We’ve done the arctic Norway thing a few times now. The fact we’re doing it again – is a testament to how much we enjoy this region and it is so influenced by the weather that each trip is a different experience and challenge.
We’re referring to this as a “race” – against ourselves – because our objective is to reach Tromsø as swiftly as possible, ensuring our safety and enjoyment throughout the journey. As hinted in our first post last year to Lofoten – we think we’ve found a new route that will get us to Norway a day earlier than any previous trip by skipping out on Kristiansand and sailing overnight into Oslo directly from Denmark.
If successful, that will allow us to maximise our time in Tromsø to a full three days this year – where we’re renting a snowmobile to explore the area from a new prospective. But it will require impeccable planning, a flawlessly working car, a reliable charging network and bit of good luck to pull it all off.
Still photography will be the focus of this trip – we’re bringing both a flying Hasselblad and a 100 megapixel medium format camera to capture our experiences in the arctic.
All our photos will essentially go unedited from the camera – or at the very most just some basic colour or white-balance correction. Instead we want to honour the amazing Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution to capture the atmosphere and light as accurately as possible to what we experienced. Which is just as well – as the long drives don’t leave much time for photo tweaking!
Over the next two weeks we'll take six international ferries linking the countries of Northern Europe together, sleep at sea for three nights, drive legally at speeds well over 230 km/h, charge the car from the endless renewable energy provided by hydro and – most importantly – experience the wonderful Norwegian arctic.
We have completed our planning and leave this Friday on a ferry to Wales in the United Kingdom.
La oss gå / A ligean ar dul / Let’s go
Our high-level route
Ireland -> United Kingdom –> Netherlands –> Germany –> Denmark –> Norway –> Germany –> Netherlands –> United Kingdom –> Ireland
Full-resolution photos
All the photos we share will be available at full resolution on this Flickr photo album including full EXIF data. We’ll be capturing many images on a 100 megapixel medium format sensor – so this is the place to zoom in and appreciate all the detail.
Apple Music
If you are an Apple Music subscriber you can listen along to some of the music that's accompanying us on our trip via our BOSE audio system and the car's in-built Apple Music player, streamed over the roaming data connection provided by Porsche.
Charging Log
We'll publish a full combined charging log at the end of the trip. Additionally, to help support the services we use in our own planning – we'll be submitting photos and charging experiences back to the PlugShare and MyPorsche apps.
Charging Networks
We plan to use the following charging networks, alongside some hotel destination charging:
Additionally, we'll publish a full hotel log at the end of the trip. We use – as much as possible – hotels.com to book accommodation as it gives a 10% discount (via 1 night free every 10 nights booked) and easy management and cancellation of bookings.
Emissions regulations & Tolls
We have already enrolled our car and registration plate with the authorities in Germany and Norway – so that we can avail of access to low emissions zones in cities and preferential toll rates.
We also have attached a toll device from Flyt to get the best possible prices as we pass through toll cameras and use the public ferries on the E6.
Tyres
Our car has the 20-inch Taycan Tequipment Design winter wheel-and-tyre set fitted with Pirelli P Zero Winter R20 XL Elect NF0.
This is our third winter season on these tyres and thread depth is still an impressive 5 mm across the widths.
Front axle: 245/45 R20 103V XL tyres
Rear axle: 285/40 R20 108V XL tyres
With two people in our four seater car, luggage for two weeks and frunk full of technical equipment, we're running on a 0.1 bar higher pressure then the officially recommended part-load tyre pressures:
Front tyres: 2.8 bar
Rear tyres: 2.6 bar
With the slightly higher pressure to account for luggage & equipment and the lower air temperature we'll experience in the arctic. We'll keep on eye on the tyre pressure each day to account for local atmospheric conditions.
Additionally we carry the official Porsche snow chains for the Taycan.
Technical Equipment
The arctic region is an unforgiving environment – and while the infrastructure and readiness of Norway is impressive – it is still imperative to plan for worst case situations. With that in mind we carry the following technical equipment:
Welcome to our latest road-trip adventure in our continuing series. While you wait for us to kick-off please check out some of our historical trips – in full multi-media – on our new Electric Drives blog.
Join us
We hope you'll join us on this 6000 km journey over 16 days – through six countries as we road-trip across beautiful Northern Europe experiencing the pristine arctic and chasing the northern lights.
If you would like to be notified of each daily update to this travel log – you can use the "watch" function on the top right of this post to follow along.
Daily reports
Day 1: Dublin (Ireland) → Holyhead (United Kingdom)
Day 2: Holyhead (United Kingdom) → Port of Harwich (United Kingdom)
Day 3: Hook of Holland (Netherlands) → Port of Frederikshavn (Denmark)
Day 4: Oslo (Norway) → Trondheim (Norway)
Day 5: Trondheim (Norway) → Mo i Rana (Norway)
Day 6: Mo i Rana (Norway) → Narvik (Norway) / Crossing the Arctic Circle
Day 7: Narvik (Norway) → Tromsø (Norway)
Day 8: Tromsø (Norway) / Rest Day
Day 9: Tromsø (Norway) / Snowmobiles
Day 10: Tromsø (Norway) → Narvik (Norway)
We’ve done the arctic Norway thing a few times now. The fact we’re doing it again – is a testament to how much we enjoy this region and it is so influenced by the weather that each trip is a different experience and challenge.
We’re referring to this as a “race” – against ourselves – because our objective is to reach Tromsø as swiftly as possible, ensuring our safety and enjoyment throughout the journey. As hinted in our first post last year to Lofoten – we think we’ve found a new route that will get us to Norway a day earlier than any previous trip by skipping out on Kristiansand and sailing overnight into Oslo directly from Denmark.
If successful, that will allow us to maximise our time in Tromsø to a full three days this year – where we’re renting a snowmobile to explore the area from a new prospective. But it will require impeccable planning, a flawlessly working car, a reliable charging network and bit of good luck to pull it all off.
Still photography will be the focus of this trip – we’re bringing both a flying Hasselblad and a 100 megapixel medium format camera to capture our experiences in the arctic.
All our photos will essentially go unedited from the camera – or at the very most just some basic colour or white-balance correction. Instead we want to honour the amazing Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution to capture the atmosphere and light as accurately as possible to what we experienced. Which is just as well – as the long drives don’t leave much time for photo tweaking!
Over the next two weeks we'll take six international ferries linking the countries of Northern Europe together, sleep at sea for three nights, drive legally at speeds well over 230 km/h, charge the car from the endless renewable energy provided by hydro and – most importantly – experience the wonderful Norwegian arctic.
We have completed our planning and leave this Friday on a ferry to Wales in the United Kingdom.
La oss gå / A ligean ar dul / Let’s go
Our high-level route
Ireland -> United Kingdom –> Netherlands –> Germany –> Denmark –> Norway –> Germany –> Netherlands –> United Kingdom –> Ireland
Full-resolution photos
All the photos we share will be available at full resolution on this Flickr photo album including full EXIF data. We’ll be capturing many images on a 100 megapixel medium format sensor – so this is the place to zoom in and appreciate all the detail.
Apple Music
If you are an Apple Music subscriber you can listen along to some of the music that's accompanying us on our trip via our BOSE audio system and the car's in-built Apple Music player, streamed over the roaming data connection provided by Porsche.
Charging Log
We'll publish a full combined charging log at the end of the trip. Additionally, to help support the services we use in our own planning – we'll be submitting photos and charging experiences back to the PlugShare and MyPorsche apps.
Charging Networks
We plan to use the following charging networks, alongside some hotel destination charging:
- IONITY (via Porsche Charging Service Plug&Charge or RFID card). This is every European Taycan owners primary charging network. IONITY have opened up some new stations north of the arctic circle since our trip last year.
- Mer (via RFID fob). This is a popular Norwegian charging service with many chargers at remote locations and common north of the arctic circle.
- Circle K Popular service station chain in Norway that are increasingly installing 300 kW chargers – useful as a backup.
- Tesla Select supercharging stations open to all cars. Tesla provides some fast charging options north of the arctic circle.
Additionally, we'll publish a full hotel log at the end of the trip. We use – as much as possible – hotels.com to book accommodation as it gives a 10% discount (via 1 night free every 10 nights booked) and easy management and cancellation of bookings.
Emissions regulations & Tolls
We have already enrolled our car and registration plate with the authorities in Germany and Norway – so that we can avail of access to low emissions zones in cities and preferential toll rates.
We also have attached a toll device from Flyt to get the best possible prices as we pass through toll cameras and use the public ferries on the E6.
Tyres
Our car has the 20-inch Taycan Tequipment Design winter wheel-and-tyre set fitted with Pirelli P Zero Winter R20 XL Elect NF0.
This is our third winter season on these tyres and thread depth is still an impressive 5 mm across the widths.
Front axle: 245/45 R20 103V XL tyres
Rear axle: 285/40 R20 108V XL tyres
With two people in our four seater car, luggage for two weeks and frunk full of technical equipment, we're running on a 0.1 bar higher pressure then the officially recommended part-load tyre pressures:
Front tyres: 2.8 bar
Rear tyres: 2.6 bar
With the slightly higher pressure to account for luggage & equipment and the lower air temperature we'll experience in the arctic. We'll keep on eye on the tyre pressure each day to account for local atmospheric conditions.
Additionally we carry the official Porsche snow chains for the Taycan.
Technical Equipment
The arctic region is an unforgiving environment – and while the infrastructure and readiness of Norway is impressive – it is still imperative to plan for worst case situations. With that in mind we carry the following technical equipment:
- Portable 22kW Juice Booster EVSE/Charger
- Regional adaptors for Juice Booster
- 5m Juice Booster extension cable for harder to reach outlets
- Type 2 – 480V/22kW public charging cable
- Snow / Ice scrapers
- Porsche Taycan snow chains
- Foldable snow shovel
- 4000 kg tow rope
- Emergency wool blankets (x2) with my co-driver using hers for comfort in the cabin already
- Flask for hot water (warm hot chocolate drinks on-the road/waiting for rescue)
- Insulated drink mugs
- Emergency foil blankets (x10)
- Porsche First aid kit
- Porsche branded winter screen wash (1:1 mix)
Welcome to our latest road-trip adventure in our continuing series. While you wait for us to kick-off please check out some of our historical trips – in full multi-media – on our new Electric Drives blog.
Join us
We hope you'll join us on this 6000 km journey over 16 days – through six countries as we road-trip across beautiful Northern Europe experiencing the pristine arctic and chasing the northern lights.
If you would like to be notified of each daily update to this travel log – you can use the "watch" function on the top right of this post to follow along.
Daily reports
Day 1: Dublin (Ireland) → Holyhead (United Kingdom)
Day 2: Holyhead (United Kingdom) → Port of Harwich (United Kingdom)
Day 3: Hook of Holland (Netherlands) → Port of Frederikshavn (Denmark)
Day 4: Oslo (Norway) → Trondheim (Norway)
Day 5: Trondheim (Norway) → Mo i Rana (Norway)
Day 6: Mo i Rana (Norway) → Narvik (Norway) / Crossing the Arctic Circle
Day 7: Narvik (Norway) → Tromsø (Norway)
Day 8: Tromsø (Norway) / Rest Day
Day 9: Tromsø (Norway) / Snowmobiles
Day 10: Tromsø (Norway) → Narvik (Norway)
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