tigerbalm

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With our planned winter trip to Scandinavia cancelled due to COVID restrictions and the spread of the Omicron variant – today we embark on a shorter seven day trip to the United Kingdom and Scotland in particular. The close cooperation between Ireland and United Kingdom allows for this trip via the Common Travel Area (CTA) that predates the European Union by fifty years, being established in 1923. In operation it is very similar to the Nordic Passport Union.

This is the first time we've been in the United Kingdom with our Taycan and we are very interested to see what the EV infrastructure will be like.

In preparation for winter like conditions our car has Pirelli P-Zero Winter NF0 tyres – mounted on the 20" Taycan Turbo rims that the car came with. We left the Porsche Snow Chains behind us – not anticipating conditions that will require them with the capabilities of the winter tyres.

All day report posts:

Day 1: Dublin (Ireland) -> Edinburgh (Scotland)
Day 2: Edinburgh (Scotland)
Day 3: Edinburgh (Scotland) -> Inverness (Scotland)
Day 4: Inverness (Scotland) -> Kinloch Rannoch (Scotland)
Day 5: Exploring Cairngorms National Park (Scotland)
Day 6: Kinloch Rannoch (Scotland) -> Glasgow (Scotland)
Day 7: Glasgow (Scotland) -> Liverpool (England)
Day 8: Liverpool (England) -> Dublin (Ireland)

Additional info:

Playlist of trip videos
Hotels during our trip
Trip Summary
Charging Summary
Sponsored

 
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tigerbalm

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Day 1: Dublin (Ireland) -> Edinburgh (Scotland)

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland Screenshot 2021-12-29 at 19.41.29


We left our home early – travelling under the city – via the Dublin Port Tunnel – to catch the 8am Irish Ferries Car Ferry from Dublin to Holyhead in Wales.




Plugging into the ferry to top off the battery so we leave with 100%. The 1 phase AC charger delivered a full 7.2kW supply – twice the amount that we got from the ferry on the way to France earlier in the year. With this being a shorter crossing, the additional power is appreciated. As ever, Irish Ferries are very organised with making sure you get a charge. If you book a EV Charger (free) when making your reservations you will get a charge on-board,

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5841


After a smooth crossing we arrived into the Port of Holyhead exactly on time.




With today being a "travelling day" and the longest of the trip – we start heading across Wales on the A5 and then the A55 with Edinburgh as our destination 515 km away.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3801

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3794


Even though the UK drives on the left – same as Ireland – one significant difference became immediately apparent. The UK uses imperial measurements of miles per hour/MPG for speed and miles and yards for distances. So much of driving is about familiar patterns that it is surprisingly tricky to adjust.

I initially changed the units of the car from km/kmh to miles/mph – but while that matched the road signs I was seeing on the road – it actually increased my unfamiliarity. While I could adjust to the speed/miles per hour aspect relatively quickly, it was the mental model of distances that I struggled with. Having the range marked in miles or the navigation giving distances the same I found difficult to adjust to. I just couldn't instinctively "know" what a range of 138 miles was compared to kilometres or 300 yards vs the equivalent in meters.

So what I found worked best for me was to leave the car in the metric measurements I am so familiar with and just make the mental speed conversions as required between the KM/H I was seeing on my dashboard with the speed restrictions on any particular road.

The car showing the speed signs in local MPH on the dashboard helped a lot to make this manageable.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5868


We had a two fast charging stop strategy today for our journey to Edinburgh. Neither were completely optimal in that they were located at places on-route where we would be arriving with much too high a state of charge (SOC) then we'd have preferred. We could probably have gotten away with a one stop strategy if there was a better located charging station mid-way on route but we couldn't find one when doing our route planning.

Our first stop was at MFG Crow Orchard – a new charging station at a BP garage with Costa Coffee attached. The eight chargers were all 150 kW with about 75% of them in use, including another Gentian Blue Taycan. I contactless Apple Pay with my iPhone to pay for the charger and get it started. It didn't seem to support any of the typical mobility providers (such as Chagemap, Shell Recharge or Porsche Charging Service).

As we arrived with the relatively high SOC of 44% – we started pulling around 120kW of power.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5854


Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5853


There was someone from the charging company there helping people make sure they could operate the chargers, seeing what kW they were getting and generally advocating for their solution – he mentioned they were working on decreasing the amount of time the chargers spent "communicating with the car" before power delivery started. It's great to see such commitment and enthusiasm and a good endorsement for MFG's commitment to providing a good and reliable experience.

One additional quirk of this location is that you had to go into the stop and type in your registration number into a kiosk/iPad device to prevent being giving a parking fine. I never had to do that at a charging bank before, not really sure what it was all about but it only took 10 seconds to do it.

We grabbed a coffee and rested up for a few minutes, leaving the station with a 96% battery.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3806


We travelled north along the relatively quiet M6 for a few hundred uneventful kilometres until we crossed over the border into Scotland at Carlisle, reaching the IONITY stations at Gretna Green shortly afterwards. This was a busy station with all charing stalls occupied – it probably needs more than four charing stalls.

However, there was extremely good queuing discipline which both greatly speeded up the waiting process and also reduces the stress of having to ensure you won't be skipped. It is such a small thing but I was very impressed with everyone's behaviour – and have experienced much worse in some parts of Continental Europe.

We only needed a small amount of power to safely reach our hotel in Edinburgh – charging for 12 minutes – enough time for a comfort break.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5863


We left the motorway for the final hours drive into Edinburgh in complete darkness. The combination of matrix lights, night vision and adaptive cruise control making driving unfamiliar roads safely a breeze.

One standout observation with my first day's driving in the UK is the excellent lane discipline of the local drivers – keeping left,, leaving overtaking lanes clear, making good progress where possible and moving out to let cars merge. It really is very impressive and I think you can see it in the impeccable safety statistics of UK roads. Generally speaking, Irish drivers are usually relatively well behaved but this was on another level.

We arrived into a relatively quiet Edinburgh within 15 minutes of our estimated arrival time and quickly found parking and destination charging beside a yellow Lamborghini at our hotel – Radisson Blu Hotel.

The Lamborghini plugged into a UK 3-pin socket to trickle charge their 12-volt battery. Not sure what that says about its overnight power drain!

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3811


It was nice to be able to get a drink after 20.00 – the time hospitality has to shut in Ireland due to pandemic regulations.

The days charging stats:

LocationStart SOC %End SOC %kWh addedCostDurationAmbient TempBattery TempCharger TypeNetwork
MFG Crow Orchard44%96%47.3€1738 mins931DC 150kWMFG
Gretna Green44%70%21.6GBP£ 6.4812 mins635AC 350kWIONITY
Radisson Blu Hotel29%100%59€07 hours4.531AC 7kWNone

Today we did 520km over 7:46 hours, with an average speed of 68km/h, consuming 24.1 kWh/100km.
 
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W1NGE

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With our planned winter trip to Scandinavia cancelled due to COVID restrictions and the spread of the Omicron variant – today we embark on a shorter seven day trip to the United Kingdom and Scotland in particular. The close cooperation between Ireland and United Kingdom allows for this trip via the Common Travel Area (CTA) that predates the European Union by fifty years, being established in 1923. In operation it is very similar to the Nordic Passport Union.

This is the first time we've been in the United Kingdom with our Taycan and we are very interested to see what the EV infrastructure will be like.

In preparation for winter like conditions our car has Pirelli P-Zero Winter NF0 tyres – mounted on the 20" Taycan Turbo rims that the car came with. We left the Porsche Snow Chains behind us – not anticipating conditions that will require them with the capabilities of the winter tyres.
Bon voyage and hope you get some usage out of those tyres as it's pretty mild just.now. I was in Braemar yesterday in search of snow (arrived Christmas Day) but now little lying but some in the hills.

The highlight was to see a GT3 Touring in green (perhaps Brewster Green but I'm not sure) parked outside the Fife Arms Hotel (was slightly jealous).
 
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tigerbalm

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Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5835


Charging on car ferries becoming more common.

They asked me not to park fully in my space to keep a hatch doorway clear.
 

Midlifecrisis

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Those ramps on the ferry looked a bit tight. And the Lambo makes the Taycan look tall!
 


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Nice update!

I can understand that it feels weird with the conversion to miles from kilometres - took me a while the other way around but now I appreciate that kilometres tend to tick down faster when travelling ;)

Since moving to Sweden I also miss the good behaviour and lane discipline of UK road users, I thought that increased difficultly of getting a driving license would mean that they are better drivers but doesn't really seem like it - so you are not missing much in that regard from not being able to travel here.
 

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@tigerbalm
I see a new television travel show coming to the world.
Travel food wine etc.

T T T
Taycan Travel with Tigerbalm.
Truly enjoyed your travel log this summer throughout Europe looking forward to this one.
Thank you for taking the time and sharing.
 

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Really appreciate your trip reports. If anyone is proof road trips in an EV is perfectly functional, it's you. Thanks again for making these.
 


kmcdonal

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With our planned winter trip to Scandinavia cancelled due to COVID restrictions and the spread of the Omicron variant – today we embark on a shorter seven day trip to the United Kingdom and Scotland in particular. The close cooperation between Ireland and United Kingdom allows for this trip via the Common Travel Area (CTA) that predates the European Union by fifty years, being established in 1923. In operation it is very similar to the Nordic Passport Union.

This is the first time we've been in the United Kingdom with our Taycan and we are very interested to see what the EV infrastructure will be like.

In preparation for winter like conditions our car has Pirelli P-Zero Winter NF0 tyres – mounted on the 20" Taycan Turbo rims that the car came with. We left the Porsche Snow Chains behind us – not anticipating conditions that will require them with the capabilities of the winter tyres.
Have fun. Sounds like a cool trip. Love the photo of charging on the ferry.

I have the same tire / wheel setup as you have and have driven through the worst winter conditions imaginable on many occasions (e.g., clear ice so thick you could skate on it to 8" of unplowed snow). Short of going on a jeep trail, you shouldn't need chains.
 
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tigerbalm

tigerbalm

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I have the same tire / wheel setup as you have and have driven through the worst winter conditions imaginable on many occasions (e.g., clear ice so thick you could skate on it to 8" of unplowed snow). Short of going on a jeep trail, you shouldn't need chains.
That's really reassuring to know. I haven't had the opportunity to really test them out other than driving in air temperatures less than 7 degrees celsius – where summer tyres start to lose their grip.
 
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Day 2: Edinburgh (Scotland)

Today we rested up after the long drive yesterday from Dublin and saw the sights of the Old Town.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3861


Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3867


Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3872


Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3874


As the sun set we walked down the steps of Fleshmarket Close.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5942


And ended the evening with some German sausages and a few drinks at Brewmania.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5944


Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5948
 
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Day 3: Edinburgh (Scotland) -> Inverness (Scotland)

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland Day 3 route


We check out of our hotel – The Radisson Blu Edinburgh – at midday with a full destination charge.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_5938


Today we drive the 200 km north towards Inverness. We had planned to take a more scenic and rural route via Balmoral Castle but as we left Edinburgh the rain and mist was heavier than forecast and we also realised that this far north sunset was at 15.45 today.

Leaving at midday is too late for sightseeing – and it would be too dark to enjoy much of the scenery en-route. We'll have the opportunity to catch this route later in the week.




We therefore took the easier A9 to Inverness – which is dual carriage way for most of the route.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3948


Stopping at IONITY Perth for a quick safety charge – totally not required now that we were not going the more remote route – but used the time to grab a coffee and quick bite at the nearby – and busy – Starbucks.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_6134


Before continuing along the A9 for the easy two hour drive to Inverness. There is almost continuous average speed camera's along this route – so we left Innodrive do its thing and keep us honest!

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3971


As @W1NGE mentioned earlier in this thread – some snow on hill tops – but nothing at road-level.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_3977


Arriving into the town as the sun was setting and headed for our overnight hotel – Ness Walk Hotel.




The hotel has an impressive array of chargers – 9 x 22kW AC charges and 2 x 50kW DC chargers. I don't think I've ever seen a 50kW charger – or two – that are reserved for hotel guests.

All the chargers are paid options and I used my Shell re-charge mobility card on the recommendation of the staff there that said they know for sure they work – alongside a number of other Mobility Providers.

Shell don't add a "time" element to using these chargers so that was more attractive for a destination charger than Porsche Charging Service. This is my first time using Shell re-charge which bills a direct debit monthly against our bank account when there is something to invoice.

I assumed I'd have to move when finished with the 50kW but staff said they aren't in that much of demand and if they were they knew where to find me.

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_6141


And enjoyed some of the "free" champagne on offer!

Porsche Taycan Winter 2021 road trip to Scotland IMG_6271


The days charging stats:

LocationStart SOC %End SOC %kWh addedCostDurationAmbient TempBattery TempCharger TypeNetwork
IONITY Perth79%94%19.31GBP£ 5.7929 mins631DC 150kWIONITY
Ness Walk Hotel49%100%47.54GBP£ 19.801 hour 22 minutes2.535DC 50kWShell Recharge

Today we did 258km over 4:10 hours, with an average speed of 63km/h, consuming 23.6 kWh/100km.

 
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W1NGE

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Day 3: Edinburgh (Scotland) -> Inverness (Scotland)

Day 3 route.png


We check out of our hotel – The Radisson Blu Edinburgh – at midday with a full destination charge.

IMG_5938.jpeg


Today we drive the 200 km north towards Inverness. We had planned to take a more scenic and rural route via Balmoral Castle but as we left Edinburgh the rain and mist was heavier than forecast and we also realised that this far north sunset was at 15.45 today.

Leaving at midday is too late for sightseeing – and it would be too dark to enjoy much of the scenery en-route. We'll have the opportunity to catch this route later in the week.




We therefore took the easier A9 to Inverness – which is dual carriage way for most of the route.

IMG_3948.jpeg


Stopping at IONITY Perth for a quick safety charge – totally not required now that we were not going the more remote route – but used the time to grab a coffee and quick bite at the nearby – and busy – Starbucks.

IMG_6134.jpeg


Before continuing along the A9 for the easy two hour drive to Inverness. There is almost continuous average speed camera's along this route – so we left Innodrive do its thing and keep us honest!

IMG_3971.jpeg


As @W1NGE mentioned earlier in this thread – some snow on hill tops – but nothing at road-level.

IMG_3977.jpeg


Arriving into the town as the sun was setting and headed for our overnight hotel – Ness Walk Hotel.




The hotel has an impressive array of chargers – 9 AC charges and 2 x 50kW DC chargers. I don't think I've ever seen a 50kW charger – or two – that are reserved for hotel guests.

All the chargers are paid options and I used my Shell re-charge mobility card on the recommendation of the staff there that said they know for sure they work – alongside a number of other Mobility Providers.

Shell don't add a "time" element to using these chargers so that was more attractive for a destination charger than Porsche Charging Service. This is my first time using Shell re-charge which bills a direct debit monthly against our bank account when there is something to invoice.

I assumed I'd have to move when finished with the 50kW but staff said they aren't in that much of demand and if they were they knew where to find me.

IMG_6141.jpeg


And enjoyed some of the "free" champagne on offer!

IMG_6271.jpeg


The days charging stats:

LocationStart SOC %End SOC %kWh addedCostDurationAmbient TempBattery TempCharger TypeNetwork
IONITY Perth79%94%19.31GBP£ 5.7929 mins631DC 150kWIONITY
Ness Walk Hotel49%100%47.54GBP£ 19.801 hour 22 minutes2.535DC 50kWShell Recharge

Today we did 258km over 4:10 hours, with an average speed of 63km/h, consuming 23.6 kWh/100km.
Marvelous and note that probably the charging choices weren't listed in ZapMap (?).

Keep on truck'in!
 
 




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