[North America] - this is getting embarrassing - Porsche nerfing/neutering the PMCC via OTA update?

[ejcintr]

official Porsche eMail - porsche will double my charge time at no cost to me - me thinks they misunderstand the product they are selling

i consider this eMail grossly out of touch with no discussion of the implications of this charge or acknowledgment of the fact that they are changing the product specifications after the fact

.

I got the same email -"free" update to reduce the capability of your charger- and I get a sticker - yipee- maybe I can ask for a lollipop as well. This is my favorite sentence "Thank you for your patience and allowing us to help maintain continued satisfaction with your vehicle." - for those of you in Norcal - we can get together and re-enact this scene from "office space" with our Porsche Mobile Chargers - .

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[Cdeedee]

I sold my PMCC EVSE and am using the Mustart. Never have had any issues with the Mustart. When I scheduled the Taycan for the software update the Service Manager told me I had to bring the PMCC in so they could update it also. Advised them I no longer had it.
Glad I got rid of the PMCC.

Any issues using the Timer/Profiles to charge during specific times? I imagine this is all managed through the car PCM. If connected to the Mustart, the car will sit idle blinking blue waiting for the set time to begin/end? just confirming

 

[ThePaddyWan]

Received the email to bring in the PMCC like others have. I'd much rather they buy back the unit if it can't perform as advertised. Updating it to charge at 50% of advertised and slapping on a sticker isn't a customer centric solution. In fact, it's to protect Porsche.

 

[BMonte13]

Got the same email. Love my Taycan….but they’ll gladly reduce the efficiency of my charger by 50% for free? Thanks? Wait…Say what?

 

[daveo4EV]

Any issues using the Timer/Profiles to charge during specific times? I imagine this is all managed through the car PCM. If connected to the Mustart, the car will sit idle blinking blue waiting for the set time to begin/end? just confirming

all charge scheduling is done via the car - so this will continue to function with any EVSE purchased for your home EV charging needs.

 

[Cdeedee]

all charge scheduling is done via the car - so this will continue to function with any EVSE purchased for your home EV charging needs.

thanks for confirming!

 

[Torv]

Here is the email I just sent to Kjell Gruner. I also forwarded my earlier email to Customer Support and my Service Advisor.

---------------------------
Mr. Gruner:

I’ve decided to forward this email to your attention.

I write to make you aware that the Porsche PMCC for my Taycan is not capable of safely delivering the charging power promised in its specification. To my knowledge there is no work going on to correct the issue and restore the PMCC to the full 40A/240V (9.6KW) charging power that it was designed to provide, essentially doubling in-home charging time (see my comments in the email below for details).

This might be less of an issue if the unit itself weren’t so expensive ($1,120 USD). Contrast this with the many capable units for sale at or around $700, and you’ll understand why I’m unhappy.

I have yet to receive any acknowledgment of my email below from any of the addressees, but of course they’ve only had my email for 3 days.

I love my Taycan. Porsche’s first entry into the EV space is a winner, and I congratulate you on that accomplishment. Now, all of us in the US need a PMCC that complements that success.

I would like to request a resolution of the PMCC non-performance issue within the next 30 days - either the detail of a plan to correct the PMCC back to 9.6KW charging capability within the next few months, or the option to return the device for full refund at which time I’ll purchase a different Level 2 EVSE charger.

Does this seem like a reasonable request to you? If not, please suggest how we move forward.

Best regards,
Sam

I think all of us who bought the PMCC should send this email and request a refund. I'm going to...

 

[daveo4EV]

here is my propose Letter/eMail - I haven't sent it yet - going to think on it for a bit…

Porsche PMCC 50% Reduction Letter

To whom it may concern Porsche North America,

I received the notice regarding the “free” 50% reduction in charging capacity for my Porsche Mobile Charger Connect (PMCC) provide/required for $1120 EVSE purchase for my 2020 Taycan Turbo. At the time of purchase the PMCC (an industry standard North American J-1772 EVSE) was sold/marketed/represented as a 9.6 kW/40 amp EVSE. This “free” reduction in charging capacity effectively reduces the unit charging capacity to 4.8 kW/20 amps thereby doubling the time it takes to charge my 2020 Porsche Taycan. By Porsche’s own specifications it takes 9.5 hour with a 9.6 kW EVSE to full charge my 2020 Taycan Turbo, but with the reduced capacity noted in the eMail this time will now dilate to over 19 hours to accomplish the same level of charge. This is both a disappointment and unexpected change in specification after purchase, with no apparently alternatives noted to restore expected and specified charging rates.

The eMail also notes the reduction in charging capacity for “NEMA industrial plugs” - but fails to mention which if any/all NEMA plugs available for the PMCC are affected by the 50% reduction. In fact the letter is so willfully vague regarding this change that it leads me to believe Porsche either does not fully understand the impact of this change, or if they do they are terrified by the potential liability of such a drastic and unannounced unilateral reduction/change in vehicle specifications and operating parameters. Positioning this as a “free” modification is height of hubris and does not appear to be a customer focused solution. The eMail leaves me with more questions than answers.

At this time I am requesting Porsche’s official response to the the following questions so that I may evaluate my Taycan ownership experience going forward:

Question #1
Can Porsche confirm at this time that my 2020 Taycan Turbo retains the ability to charge at a rate of 9.6 kW @ 240V @ 40 amps if I am using a suitable non-Porsche EVSE? Or is this change a reduction in vehicle max charging specifications and the new maximum charge rate is 4.8 kW/ @ 240V @ 20 amps?

Question #2
For which of the 5 available “NEMA industrial plugs” does the 50% reduction apply. Porsche manufactures and sells/provided 5 separate NEMA supply cables for the PMCC

• NEMA 5-15 supply cable - 12 amp 1.44 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
• NEMA 6-30 supply cable - 24 amp 5.76 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
• NEMA 14-30 supply cable - 24 amp 5.76 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
• NEMA 6-50 supply cable - 40 amps 9.6 kW max charge rate prior to this notice
• NEMA 14-50 supply cable - 40 amps 9.6 kW max charge rate prior to this notice

Does the 50% reduction in charging capacity affect only some of the NEMA industry plugs or all of the NEMA industrial plugs?

Question #3
Does Porsche plan to update their Taycan specifications published in print and online to note that to achieve the published 9.5 hour charge time advertised for the Taycan requires the additional purchase of a non-Porsche EVSE - since the included EVSE (PMCC) is no longer rated for it’s full capacity given this notice?

Question #4:
Does Porsche plan to provide any restitution/remediation/reimbursement given the reduction in their EVSE supplied equipment? I would’ve never agreed or contemplated or considered the purchase of a 20 amp EVSE in 2020 given the units substandard performance at the time and current state of the art, 20 amp 4.8 kW charge rate is too slow to meet my daily vehicle needs and will cause charging session to fall outside my PG&E off-peak billing time periods, increasing the cost of ownership going forward.

Continued use of a 4.8 kW EVSE is not an option for me and I feel the product purchase should be reimbursed or the charging reduction resolved. I purchased a 9.6 kW charge rate vehicle, authorized an electrician to install a 9.6 kW capable circuit for my garage, obtained county permits inspecting and approving a 9.6 kW circuit for my EV usage, and obtain govt. tax incentives for a 9.6 kW charging circuit - a unilateral reduction in that charging capacity by a substandard product is not acceptable and some accommodation must be considered moving forward. The lack of any acknowledgement of that fact is simply ridiculous.

Question #5:
Does Porsche still recommend customers install a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 9.6 kW electrical circuit for their homes given that the PMCC can no longer fully utilized that circuit. If Porsche does not recommend installation of a 50 amp circuit- what circuit size does Porsche recommend? And what NEMA industrial plug would you recommend be paired with an appropriate sized electrical circuit to match the PMCC’s 20 amp capabilities? And does Porsche plan to provide a NEMA industrial plug supply cable that matches the PMCC maximum 20 amp rating?

Question #6:
Given that Porsche does not currently offer a 9.6 kW capable EVSE does Porsche have at this time a recommended alternative EVSE that can match the Taycan’s maximum L2 charging specification of 9.6 kW? There are many choices available that can apparently achieve the 9.6 kW charge rate but being a Porsche customer I would give great weight to any EVSE 9.6 kW product recommendation as I consider a suitable alternative.

I look forward to the answers to the above questions as simply telling me my charging time has doubled leaving me with no recourse or recommendations going forward is simply an un-acceptable customer experience. Again Porsche either does not realize the fleet wide and individual impact this will cause or they do, and if they and believe the current eMail/response is sufficient, well then I am deeply disappointed as a Porsche customer.

I look forward to a timely response to the above questions as a 4.8 kW charge rate going forward is unsustainable for my continued vehicle ownership.

 

[Dave T]

I just got the email from Porsche about limiting the charger to 20 amps, so I went on Taycanforum and came across this thread. I tried to read through the entire thread, but could only make it to page 12. Man, do people have a lot to say about this!! I'm retired, but still wouldn't have enough time to keep up on this thread.

Anyway, I have something amusing to add, and a question. Coincidentally, my car is at the dealer right now for service, and at their request I had given them my PMCC. They didn't tell me what the update was for. After I got that email today, but before I read this thread, I called my dealer and talked to a service guy there. I told him I wasn't happy about charging the car taking twice as long, and he told me that it won't take any longer to charge, because it will now be charging more efficiently. Haha! I politely pointed out that that couldn't be right, and he said someone else would call me back and hung up on me.

So my question - is it true that if you change the max charging level back to 40 amps, and also disable idle timeouts, and don't unplug the charger, then it will continue to function as before? I could live with that.

 

[bah1590]

here is my propose Letter/eMail - I haven't sent it yet - going to think on it for a bit…

Why are you thinking on it?

 

[daveo4EV]

Why are you thinking on it?

I might have more questions and I know the answer to all the questions ;-)

in any case sending it is "an escalation" and I'm going to think on it before doing it.

 

[daveo4EV]

I just got the email from Porsche about limiting the charger to 20 amps, so I went on Taycanforum and came across this thread. I tried to read through the entire thread, but could only make it to page 12. Man, do people have a lot to say about this!! I'm retired, but still wouldn't have enough time to keep up on this thread.

Anyway, I have something amusing to add, and a question. Coincidentally, my car is at the dealer right now for service, and at their request I had given them my PMCC. They didn't tell me what the update was for. After I got that email today, but before I read this thread, I called my dealer and talked to a service guy there. I told him I wasn't happy about charging the car taking twice as long, and he told me that it won't take any longer to charge, because it will now be charging more efficiently. Haha! I politely pointed out that that couldn't be right, and he said someone else would call me back and hung up on me.

So my question - is it true that if you change the max charging level back to 40 amps, and also disable idle timeouts, and don't unplug the charger, then it will continue to function as before? I could live with that.

if you lose power (outside your control) you'll need to reset it- and if you lose power during a charging session - when power is restored (while your sleeping) it will come back at 20 amps - which may blow your charging schedule window - and you'll find the car insufficiently charged in the morning if there was a power blip overnight and you didn't re-adust the PMCC's max AMPs

we get enough power blips in my area (12-40 less than 2 second blips a month) that this is a real issue for me.

YMMV

to me the point still remains Porsche sold me a 9.6 kW EVSE - and now they are saying it can only run at 50% of that - and they seem to think this is just fine as an after the fact adjustment with no remediation…and that sucking up 2x charging time is no big deal.

 

[Dave T]

Ok, yes, I agree that Porsche sucks for doing this, and I wish I never bought the PMCC. And I am with you on all your other grievances about this.

So to be clear - if I turn off idle timeouts, restore the max charge level to 40 amps, and don't lose power, then I'm good. I can still live with that. Maybe I'll buy a different charger at some point, but if my house won't burn down using this one, I'm in no hurry. I don't lose power that often.

 

[daveo4EV]

Ok, yes, I agree that Porsche sucks for doing this, and I wish I never bought the PMCC. And I am with you on all your other grievances about this.

So to be clear - if I turn off idle timeouts, restore the max charge level to 40 amps, and don't lose power, then I'm good. I can still live with that. Maybe I'll buy a different charger at some point, but if my house won't burn down using this one, I'm in no hurry. I don't lose power that often.

yes if you adjust the amps- turn off "sleep" via the Webportal -and don't lose power -the unit should remain at the 40 amp setting.

 

[Cdeedee]

thanks for confirming!

I'm curious about mixed reviews I'm seeing for this charger online, noting that the cables were not rated correctly, "It is sold as a 40 amp charger but the cable is only rated for 30 amps" , can you confirm?

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