Taycan Crap Nav

[evanevery]

By supporting CarPlay, the TAycan essentially gives you a platform that supports replacing or extending the built-in functionality with third-party apps. Seems pretty good to me.

Yes, that feature IS good! (at least if you own an iPhone and you wish to screen cast - neither of which apply to me) ...but its not acceptable as a substitute for a well designed Nav system.

Not that it matters in the "big picture": I seldom have my cell phone in the car when I go for a drive (unless its going to be a long one). Although I work very deeply in a high tech industry (Computer Forensics), I simply don't care to carry my phone around. I'm not a slave to my phone. I can literally go days without looking at it...

I know I'm in the minority here (also as an Android user) but shouldn't the Nav system do what it is supposed to do? Particularly in such an expensive vehicle. ...and particularly because it very well could do so if it was only thoughtfully designed. Shouldn't it work for us? Otherwise, why bother at all and just put a phone mount in its place...

Additionally, when I do use my Smart Phone in the Taycan, it sits in a mount in full view and access so it can AUGMENT the functionality of the Nav System. (Usually running Waze or JBV1 along side the Nav Screen). I don't displace the onboard Nav display with its display. I prefer to use it as an additional standalone device. (I've never complained that the Taycan doesn't support Android Auto as I don't ever use it in any of my other vehicles. I'll leave that fight for others...)

If we pay this much for an onboard Nav system then it should work well. ...and there is no reason why it can't.

Sponsored

 

[Kingske]

I haven’t tried it, but if you have an iPhone you should be able to get zapmap working on the car using CarPlay.

Zap-Map is a UK-only thing, correct?

 

[Dave T]

Zap-Map is a UK-only thing, correct?

I’ve never used it but it looks like it’s just for the UK.

 

[evanevery]

Zap-Map is a UK-only thing, correct?

FYI: ABRP (A Better Route Planner) is arguably the best EV Road Trip Planning app regardless of which EV you are driving. It has both an online web interface (for desktop planning) and a smartphone app (for trip execution) and I'm pretty sure it works world-wide. (IOW: You can use either platform - web or app - interchangeably)

...and (unlike the Porsche Nav System) you can SAVE /RESTORE your carefully planned routes!

 

[Scandinavian]

FYI: ABRP (A Better Route Planner) is arguably the best EV Road Trip Planning app regardless of which EV you are driving. It has both an online web interface (for desktop planning) and a smartphone app (for trip execution) and I'm pretty sure it works world-wide. (IOW: You can use either platform - web or app - interchangeably)

...and (unlike the Porsche Nav System) you can SAVE /RESTORE your carefully planned routes!

And have up to date information on the status of chargers in Europe at least for a small fee per year. Compared to the Porsche PCM. I just can not understand how they have implemented such a bad thing in the car. And defend the Crap

 

[evanevery]

And have up to date information on the status of chargers in Europe at least for a small fee per year. Compared to the Porsche PCM. I just can not understand how they have implemented such a bad thing in the car. And defend the Crap

Yeah, I think ABRP requires you to have an account in order to save your routes/trips and maybe get live traffic updates and re-routing. The rest of it (trip planning) is fully functional even without the small yearly fee.

 

[neilp1]

Is it possible to use the maps (google, apple, waze) on apple carplay and then use it on the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel?

 

[UKTIVO]

FYI: ABRP (A Better Route Planner) is arguably the best EV Road Trip Planning app regardless of which EV you are driving. It has both an online web interface (for desktop planning) and a smartphone app (for trip execution) and I'm pretty sure it works world-wide. (IOW: You can use either platform - web or app - interchangeably)

...and (unlike the Porsche Nav System) you can SAVE /RESTORE your carefully planned routes!

Thanks for the info. I’ve just downloaded the ABRP APP (UK based) after playing with it for 30 mins, paid the one year sub... what a great app..

 

[Scandinavian]

Thanks for the info. I’ve just downloaded the ABRP APP (UK based) after playing with it for 30 mins, paid the one year sub... what a great app..

Yes I wish Porsche would take that license and install it in the Taycan!

wishing.... wishing....

 

[Tiredoftesla]

Is there any car that has a decent navigation system? I'm serious. Use a 3rd party EV app. Use Google maps or Waze. Problem solved in 30 seconds.

It's not like you should suddenly be going "oh no, I need to charge!" and then try to get the Nav to help you while driving. You should always be planning your stop before leaving, which, again, takes less than a minute even for longer road trips.

The reality is car manufacturers don't put resources into stuff like Nav because most people use Waze or Google anyway. You're expecting Porsche to invest in something that few people will use and will STILL be outclassed by two free apps. It would be nice but it's not actually logical from a business point of view.

Anyone on here that works on software can give you an idea of how much work & money it would cost to make an in car nav that was competitive with Waze & Google. It probably isn't even possible if they tried.

"Is there any car that has a decent navigation system?" Yes. The Tesla Model S uses google maps. It is awesome.

 

[rich_r]

"Is there any car that has a decent navigation system?" Yes. The Tesla Model S uses google maps. It is awesome.

Tesla actually uses an open source product called MapBox for navigation and routing...

 

[W1NGE]

Great car to drive but an absolute nightmare on a long journey, it’s like stepping back 15 years to those early sat navs. I’ve even had to resort to pen and paper and make a note of which service stations have which chargers for long journeys. I have now travelled well over 2000 miles and these are what I hate (strong word but appropriate) about the Taycan sat nav and why it makes the Porsche Taycan EV unfit for purpose. Is this global or just the UK?

I sincerely hope that I have not configured something incorrectly, or they have installed the wrong (beta) software, hence my post. A fix will stop me saying to everyone who asks, great car for a short journey, but unsuited to long journeys. My wife has already stated that we have to use the Audi petrol car for any further long journeys as she would rather stay at home than suffer the Porsche!

Executive Summary

For a long journey, use the ZapMap App to identify the rapid chargers and write them down on a piece of paper (with postcodes), unfortunately I can’t get ZapMap to work on CarPlay, so I’m trying TomTom and Google Maps. The irony is I had to pay for the Porsche data package to download TomTom as their own system is not fit for purpose.

My Gripes

Lack of Detail on the map

Most sat navs have the map and to the left an overview of the journey with the next 3 (or so) journey route changes, or on a motorway (freeway/autobahn) it will also include the next service stations, really good ones (Tesla) will also indicate if the chargers are free. But even my Gen 1 Leaf had some information about chargers, the Porsche Crap Nav has nothing, aside roadworks (but no indication as to where) charges required (and for how long) but no indication as to where and how much charge you will have left at the destination

When you are travelling on a long journey, you may want to use the restroom or eat, ideally with an EV, you’ll stop somewhere where you can charge your EV at the same time, it makes sense to stop at one with a higher KW charger or where they aren’t in use. Several times I have called into a service station only to find a queue of EVs waiting to charge, if I have sufficient range, I’ll chance it with the next one. Or I have stopped at the charge only to discover it is only 11KW and I don’t have 12 hours to spare to charge.

Lack of charger database

Imagine my frustration of charging from one of the few 175KW chargers in England (M6 Preston) and tapping in for nearest charger and Porsche doesn’t know about it, (there were lots of Jaguar I-Paces there). You have to use the ZapMap App and then put the postcodes into the Porsche. The Porsche wanted me to charge at a nearby charger for over an hour instead I took it from 30% to 90% in under 30 minutes.

The Artificial Intelligence of a Slug

When I set a route I want to be offered alternative routes, and be given enough time to select the most appropriate, yes, you can click on alternative routes, but the arrogance of the crap nav is such that it quite often can’t be bothered to find one. On Saturday I left a charger to reach my destination and I ended up on single track farm roads with grass growing on the road, when I took the same route in reverse, it gave my a sensible route on main roads. It chooses which chargers you will use on a long journey, even if that means travelling 10 miles off route on a different motorway, seriously!

Ability to set destination charge

When I travel somewhere, I want to set the charge I want to have remaining at the destination, for instance if I’m reversing the route and travelling back, I may wish to have 70% remaining, or if it’s my final journey before reaching home I might only need 10% charge. Last weekend I had 31 miles left to travel but only 26 miles range, it chose a charging station and wanted me to charge there for over an hour so that I would have 69% charge when I reached my destination, I left the chargepoint early but it still moaned all the way to the destination.

Ability to cancel a charger

When you are low on charge the Porsche Sat Nav selects the charger for you whether you want to charge there or not, on one journey it wanted me to deviate miles off route into a city centre to charge at a leisure centre. Frustratingly, I knew that there was a charger at a service station on my route but it was a slow charger. I went with the Porsche option, when I got there it had been vandalised and it didn’t work. However, there was nowhere to cancel this charger and as I had so little range it insisted I return to this charger. Even if I put the postcode to the other charger in, it wouldn’t accept it as I was low on charge, in the end I had to navigate using my mobile phone.

Another interesting point is that when you are low on charge and it is insisting on you charging, it obviously includes the deviation from route, I had 50 miles range and the destination was 30 miles away, however, once the route added in it’s choice of charger, the range was 40 miles. In order to find out the actual distance to the destination, my only option was to keep re-entering the destination and I would have a few seconds of actual distance before it added the deviation to charge.

Deviation From Route

If I’m on a journey I don’t want to deviate miles off route to charge, especially as the Porsche charger database is so poor, making it’s algorithm and AI worthless. I would like to be able to dictate how far off route I’m willing to go, eg 10 miles, 1 mile or not at all.

Summary

I hate the crap nav but love the car, I would love to meet the designer and counsel them at length. Hopefully it will be updated, even if it is only as good as a Gen 1 Nissan Leaf it would be better. Is this just UK where it is this bad, as Porsche’s revenge for Brexit?

Has anyone tried Google Maps or TomTom through CarPlay or have they found another work around?

Just checking you’re aware that the PIRM lists only charge points >= 50kW but additionally facilitates the addition of chargers you know exist by adding a stopover (appears as a white flag rather than blue). Still not a perfect solution and many slower chargers aren’t listed but the issue I think is lack of standards / willingness to share data. The PIRM will pre-condition the battery for chargers you / it selects including ones you’ve added and allows you to set a minimum charge to be at the next station.

Further you can search for charging points within the map (there is a specific function for it) which goes beyond IONITY (Osprey others). Still not comprehensive but may help with your angst!

The maker / designer is not Porsche - typically Becker or bizarrely Volvo (major provider for other brands apparently, who knew??). In the not too distant future regular petrol stations will have fit for purpose charging (BP are on a march just now as are Shell for example) more commonly than they do currently.

Ideally we’d want ZapMap data importable to PCM but as it’s ‘not invented here’ doubtful this will ever happen.