Taycan Crap Nav

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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

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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?
Not to be dense, but did you order the Intelligent Range Manager?
 

grahamsimmonds

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I don’t believe that any EV has a navigation system that is capable of your requirements. If you want to drive your Taycan around the UK or Europe you need to do some preparation in advance of your journey. Look first for the reliable chargers on your journey - Ionity, Instavolt, Eon, Pod-Point. If you plan to use other networks, use Zap-Map/PlugShare for checkin histories of the sites you wish to use. These will often tell you if a charger is working or not.

Unfortunately we are not yet at a point where you can use your car’s navigations system as the only source of information. I come from a Tesla which is possibly one of the better implementations. However its range assurance is still In its infancy. It only knows about the Tesla network, and its logic is rudimentary. I can still plan a route including charging points far better than it can.
 

Cabsav

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Sadly I threw my 4 week old Turbo back to the dealer at the weekend not entirely because of the satnav although as has been pointed out it is absolute rubbish. Tesla is streaks ahead in my view although if you are going on a long trip you need to do some pre planning whatever EV you are in and have a vague idea of where to stop and charge. I have used ABRP on many an occasion and it is probably one of the best tools out there. I rejected the car because of all the connect issues which Porsche seem unable to solve.
 

awharton

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Sadly I threw my 4 week old Turbo back to the dealer at the weekend not entirely because of the satnav although as has been pointed out it is absolute rubbish. Tesla is streaks ahead in my view although if you are going on a long trip you need to do some pre planning whatever EV you are in and have a vague idea of where to stop and charge. I have used ABRP on many an occasion and it is probably one of the best tools out there. I rejected the car because of all the connect issues which Porsche seem unable to solve.
Are they going to attempt to fix the issues (no idea how) - or are you pushing for a refund?
 

Cabsav

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Are they going to attempt to fix the issues (no idea how) - or are you pushing for a refund?
The refund is on its way, they didn’t argue at all. I spent 4 weeks going back and forth with Porsche GB who merely said it had been referred to Germany. It’s very unfortunate as the car itself was great to drive but ridiculously backward on the technology front.
 


awharton

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The refund is on its way, they didn’t argue at all. I spent 4 weeks going back and forth with Porsche GB who merely said it had been referred to Germany. It’s very unfortunate as the car itself was great to drive but ridiculously backward on the technology front.
Surprised the dealer didn’t kick up a fuss too much. Might have another chat with mine about it.
 

TAYC4N

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They probably have buyers lined up to by them at list price.
 

Cabsav

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Surprised the dealer didn’t kick up a fuss too much. Might have another chat with mine about it.
He couldn’t really, none of the services nor the app would connect at handover but he thought it was a temporary issue with the servers in Germany and all should be ok overnight! I was within 28 days so the consumer rights act was in play which may have concentrated his mind somewhat!
 


Cabsav

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They probably have buyers lined up to by them at list price.
I agree, don’t think they will have an issue selling it but it is used with 2 registered owners, I bought it as their demonstrator so somebody is going to take a bit of a hit, it should be Porsche GB rather than the dealer.
 

awharton

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I agree, don’t think they will have an issue selling it but it is used with 2 registered owners, I bought it as their demonstrator so somebody is going to take a bit of a hit, it should be Porsche GB rather than the dealer.
Within the 28 days definitely helps. Just spoke to mine. Wasn’t so forthcoming. Offered to buy it back with about a 10% reduction on list - although haven’t pushed it too hard at this point.
 

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Agree on the nav. I think it's usable for basic purposes but intelligent planning based on charging needs? FORGET ABOUT IT. It's a piece of crap.

I use Plugshare & Google Maps to first manually plan my routes, then I input whatever I've planned into the car nav. That way it's ok.
 

Cabsav

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Within the 28 days definitely helps. Just spoke to mine. Wasn’t so forthcoming. Offered to buy it back with about a 10% reduction on list - although haven’t pushed it too hard at this point.
Does the car fall within the CRA or are you well outside it? You could always suggest to him that instead of a full refund you would accept a replacement! Porsche cannot punt these cars out at the prices that they do and expect us to simply trial them On their behalf!
 

svp6

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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.
Agree with most of your summary, with one caveat: you can disable the annoying idiotic who-thought-about-that-s^#t behavior of the Nav system. Go into settings and it has a "use Porsche range manager" option - that comes on by default. Uncheck the box, now you can enter the destination you want, and the car will not keep trying to change the route to the middle-of-nowhere charging station; it will simply plot the fastest route and give you a -x% state of charge at destination, so you are aware you will not make it.
 

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Agree with most of your summary, with one caveat: you can disable the annoying idiotic who-thought-about-that-s^#t behavior of the Nav system. Go into settings and it has a "use Porsche range manager" option - that comes on by default. Uncheck the box, now you can enter the destination you want, and the car will not keep trying to change the route to the middle-of-nowhere charging station; it will simply plot the fastest route and give you a -x% state of charge at destination, so you are aware you will not make it.
I'm curious as to how different this is in the US vs. EMEA. My limited experience (I don't road trip in my Taycan - only once so far) was that charging was just off the interstate within a few miles at most. It was damn near the same as taking that route in our Tesla. And it was only high speed L3 chargers which is going to be a variable based on the EA build out in my region. I just didn't have nearly the same frustrations here that OP has noted. I'm also used to an EV so maybe I'm subconsciously accepting some nuances that I've gotten used to for the last couple of years.
 

svp6

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I'm curious as to how different this is in the US vs. EMEA. My limited experience (I don't road trip in my Taycan - only once so far) was that charging was just off the interstate within a few miles at most. It was damn near the same as taking that route in our Tesla. And it was only high speed L3 chargers which is going to be a variable based on the EA build out in my region. I just didn't have nearly the same frustrations here that OP has noted. I'm also used to an EV so maybe I'm subconsciously accepting some nuances that I've gotten used to for the last couple of years.
I only took one long trip in Midwest (MN-WI-IL). The Nav looks at any public chargers, does not seem to discern between power and network preference (I have Electrify America set as preferred in the charging app, does not seem to help a bit). On the way back from Chicago it kept trying to send me to a Greenlots charger which I did not need or want. I had enough to get to Madison (barely), with a fallback in Rockford if consumption was higher than what I anticipated. I kept trying to delete the charging stop, that is how I stumbled on the disable Porsche Range Manager option.....

I had 3 Tesla, of course navigating to charging is easier since all SC are Tesla and there are plenty of them..... Charging though was faster with the Taycan.
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