Do you charge at your local Porsche dealer?

[mikezhang31]

The AC chargers are always being hogged by the sales guy with taycan, and the sales guy told me the sole DC charger is for dealer use only. It seems to be a hit or miss with dealers.

Before I installed L2 charging at home, I would actually charge at the hyundai dealer and sit in their cigarette smelling service waiting lounge while the car charges lol

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[DerekS]

I did pick up a charge from Porsche Austin when passing through last month.

They were very nice. I simply mentioned I was road tripping and asked if I could use the charger and they were happy to oblige.

 

[JWreck]

I did pick up a charge from Porsche Austin when passing through last month.

They were very nice. I simply mentioned I was road tripping and asked if I could use the charger and they were happy to oblige.

I don’t go to Porsche Austin often (yay for Porsche build quality), but when I do, they’re always happy to give me the card and remind me to grab a cookie downstairs.

 

[JWreck]

My dealer told me their charger is not for customer use, and referred me to the EA location 30 mins away

Hrm, I’m like 85% confident that Porsche dealers that sell the Taycan are required by Porsche NA to have at least one public facing charger for customer use.

 

[JWreck]

 

[tchavei]

Charging my Taycan at the local Porsche dealership is a fantastic experience. Every Saturday morning (or every second if I haven't been driving much), I go to the local dealership and plug in. I get to see all the latest cars on the showroom floor, I enjoy talking to the team, the free coffee is a nice touch, and I relax in comfortable surrounds. It's very 'Porsche'. To me, the fact that I bought this particular car at another dealer is irrelevant - well, at least it was until the dealer principle (whom I had never met) approached me on Saturday: "Why do you charge your car here rather than at [the other dealer]? Our electricity bill is through the roof, and we don't have enough parking spaces." At this point, I politely introduced myself and pointed out that the chargers at his dealership are part of the network which I can access for three years' worth of free charging. I wanted to turn this into a positive conversation, so I went on to say how much I enjoyed being there and interacting with his team and so on. He softened a little. Given his full order book (e.g. ~200 911s with confirmed orders) and a very real chance of selling me my next car, I thought his focus on the cost of electricity was somewhat churlish and short-sighted. Am I being unreasonable?

I think I already posted my experience somewhere here on the forum with several porsche dealers in Portugal. Anyway, to sum it up

- porsche can't charge legally for electricy in this country which means that any charge you get from a Porsche dealer is "courtesy" aka "free"

- that being said, I had excellent experience charging en route at my dealer where I bought the car (450km away), I had a similar great experience in Northern Portugal when I was doing a trip there (700km away)

- my local dealer (2km from my house) who wasn't interested in selling me a car in the first place, refused to let me charge up. The convo then changed to wanting to charge the "parking space" for 40€

I laughed it off, commented something in line of "I guess I understand now why most porsche I see around here bear the mark of the other dealer 440km away" and left.

I then sent an email to the manager explaining how I felt it was a lost opportunity to sell more cars while letting people charge up their taycans (that and maybe the dark exhibition room - definitely to save up more on electricity). I got a reply a few days later that starting July, the charger would be open to customers again.

To be honest, I haven't returned there to test it.

 

[TxnBluDvl]

I did pick up a charge from Porsche Austin when passing through last month.

They were very nice. I simply mentioned I was road tripping and asked if I could use the charger and they were happy to oblige.

This is my local dealer and they are one of the nicest I’ve had the pleasure of patronizing both in facilities and staff.

it makes a difference. And, they’re going to be on the short list of dealers I speak with regarding my next one.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Hrm, I’m like 85% confident that Porsche dealers that sell the Taycan are required by Porsche NA to have at least one public facing charger for customer use.

They [corporate] do and the dealer must pay for it, so they are hating customers for using them. I was told by my SA that they delayed it as much as possible given corporate pressure as it costs $250k plus to put one in with parking lot to be dug up for the install. I was reminded that why don't you charge at home.

 

[MissionC]

My dealer has a pair of Turbo Chargers out front and I go there at least once a month. I’ve been a customer for about 10 years and even though the dealership has changed ownership twice, they’ve been pretty good to me.

It’s great to stop in there, especially when I’m ~20% SoC and get the super fast charging session and grab a coffee.

 

[violuma]

the dealer must pay for it, so they are hating customers for using them

Nobody ever accused me of having much in the way of business acumen, but that sounds like being handed a bag of lemons and choosing to make compost instead of lemonade.

If the charger is a sunk cost to me, the dealer, I would much rather have it being used, thereby delivering great marketing and customer relation-building opportunities and assuaging anxiety other customers might have about buying a Taycan. After all, that person using the charger bought one. Maybe they'll even chat and evangelize to other potential buyers in the showroom.

Actively rooting for it to be sitting unused gathering dust strikes me as a step on the road to the dealership meeting the same fate.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Nobody ever accused me of having much in the way of business acumen, but that sounds like being handed a bag of lemons and choosing to make compost instead of lemonade.

If the charger is a sunk cost to me, the dealer, I would much rather have it being used, thereby delivering great marketing and customer relation-building opportunities and assuaging anxiety other customers might have about buying a Taycan. After all, that person using the charger bought one. Maybe they'll even chat and evangelize to other potential buyers in the showroom.

Actively rooting for it to be sitting unused gathering dust strikes me as a step on the road to the dealership meeting the same fate.

Interesting point. I always look who is using it when I stop by. Many times it is the Sales Manager charging his own ID4 and then serviced Taycans plugged into it. Mine was plugged into once during PDI. My understanding is that they want to use it for themselves (so it is used all the time), bill corporate for charging serviced vehicles, but they do not want to pay the electric bill for anyone else using it. The only way I can see me using it if I cannot make another 10 min to home from a long trip, but otherwise, I tread carefully where I want to ask for anything, and I am the VIP (they tell me I am).

 

[BJCanadaMax]

My dealer told me their charger is not for customer use, and referred me to the EA location 30 mins away

Yeah, it

Nobody ever accused me of having much in the way of business acumen, but that sounds like being handed a bag of lemons and choosing to make compost instead of lemonade.

If the charger is a sunk cost to me, the dealer, I would much rather have it being used, thereby delivering great marketing and customer relation-building opportunities and assuaging anxiety other customers might have about buying a Taycan. After all, that person using the charger bought one. Maybe they'll even chat and evangelize to other potential buyers in the showroom.

Actively rooting for it to be sitting unused gathering dust strikes me as a step on the road to the dealership meeting the same fate.

yeah. but the post here is not about other customers/other people. Its about one guy who goes there all the time reading the paper, drinking their coffee and not buying anything. And it always "THAT guy is here again".

 

[EvFamily]

They didn’t even charge my car after keeping it for 6 weeks, not sure if their charger is even a fast one. But I have had this thought many times. The lounges at dealers are really nice, why not setup charging there for customers or people who want to pay. I’d rather sit and pay at the Mercedes lounge than EA Walmart.

 

[W1NGE]

Charging my Taycan at the local Porsche dealership is a fantastic experience. Every Saturday morning (or every second if I haven't been driving much), I go to the local dealership and plug in. I get to see all the latest cars on the showroom floor, I enjoy talking to the team, the free coffee is a nice touch, and I relax in comfortable surrounds. It's very 'Porsche'. To me, the fact that I bought this particular car at another dealer is irrelevant - well, at least it was until the dealer principle (whom I had never met) approached me on Saturday: "Why do you charge your car here rather than at [the other dealer]? Our electricity bill is through the roof, and we don't have enough parking spaces." At this point, I politely introduced myself and pointed out that the chargers at his dealership are part of the network which I can access for three years' worth of free charging. I wanted to turn this into a positive conversation, so I went on to say how much I enjoyed being there and interacting with his team and so on. He softened a little. Given his full order book (e.g. ~200 911s with confirmed orders) and a very real chance of selling me my next car, I thought his focus on the cost of electricity was somewhat churlish and short-sighted. Am I being unreasonable?

I charge at the dealership once every 2 years (service time)!

The charge for electricity is too high given you are charged for time as well as juice.

Invariably a non EV occupying the spaces.

Rarely got 50% of the possible 270kW (350kW EVSEs).

In general, a great facility when available but marred by the charges (it's not free even with the Taycan charge card or app).

Odd you were challenged...why did they install them in the first place!!?

 

[BigBob]

I charge at the dealership once every 2 years (service time)!

The charge for electricity is too high given you are charged for time as well as juice.

Invariably a non EV occupying the spaces.

Rarely got 50% of the possible 270kW (350kW EVSEs).

In general, a great facility when available but marred by the charges (it's not free even with the Taycan charge card or app).

Odd you were challenged...why did they install them in the first place!!?

I’ve been charging frequently at Porsche (just around corner from my house) as AC charging has stopped working. Best speed I’ve had is 150 and the dash throws up some sort of message along the lines of full power isn’t available from the charger at the moment.

As you say, usually being used as a parking space for something else.

Anyway, my Taycan in for the fix and has mystically morphed into a Mercedes S class. So if anyone needs an Uber Exec ride give me a call.

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