Just finished a 1,500 mi CO & UT U.S. West trip

[MoniqueDenver]

This car is just so incredibly amazing!

I’m Denver, CO based. I bought a used `21 Taycan 4CT (“Magdalena”) in December sight unseen from a dealer in NJ. Picked it up Jan. 7, drove it across country (2,500 miles) in a polar vortex and then just finished a 1,500 mile trip as a chaperone for a school camping trip. The group drove from Denver, CO to Zion National Park, to Grand Canyon south rim and then finished up in Moab, UT/Arches National Park before driving back to Denver.

Things I learned:

Range mode – Makes a difference. On a 325-mile trip, using Range mode, I was able to stop only once for a charge (~40min). Did the ride in 5 and a half hours, whereas an ICE would have been 5, so not bad. (Usually, my bladder gives out before the battery does.) Trying to explore this more, but then I want to use Sport mode…

Charging Technique: Chargers were rare, but always dependable.

Figured out a 110volt “Top off Technique”. One resort had a free Level 2 charger near the main lodge, but our house was a 5 min drive away. I would leave the car plugged in near the main lodge, then drive to the house and plug it in (usually overnight) at a simple 110 outlet. This allowed me to “top off”. One overnight I went from 73% to 85% (roughly 10 hours.)

It’s not worth moving from a 150kWh charger to a 350kWh charger if the 150kWh is giving you over 125. I did it twice. Once it annoyingly dropped from (averages) 140 to 75 and the second time, I only went from 129 to 169 (averages). Although the data might not be solid, since I wasn’t charging for the same duration and from the same %.



On this trip, I really got to experience the car in so many different driving conditions, I can’t say enough how impressed I am and how much fun it is to drive.

Blizzard conditions – Magdalena performed admirably in a serious white out blizzard at night over Vail Mountain pass (10,000 ft.) Brand spanking new 20” Blizzak snow tires, Gravel mode. Only issue was front windshield froze quickly and while it defrosted just as fast, the wipers iced over. Pulled over and toweled off the ice and was fine.

Also tested stopping power at 50mph. Slid a bit, as expected in ice, but then regained control easily.

Deep hard snow – drove through it like butter! The Tesla beside me got stuck in less snow. We were both going to chargers, which, of course, were not dug out.

Mountain Canyon Curves - Hello, Sport Mode!

Launch Mode - best tried with two 11-year-old boys in the back seat!!!

Long stretches of highway with or without traffic – Unlike my ex-husband’s Tesla, which drives like a teenager, the ACC has finesse. I also use it to not go 100mph in a 60. Love passing people in seconds.

What I want to learn:

Looking at the dramatic differences in charging rates, particularly in the same Tesla charger, I want to understand how to get faster rates more consistently.

I also want to understand how to get better range. The most I’ve seen at 100% is 213 miles.

How to set the trip feature to show what the actual trip was, not just “since this morning/last charge.”

What I need for June, when we can use the Tesla charging network. (I’ve heard that I can use Tesla private chargers with an adapter. What adapter is that? And should I wait to buy it until I can use their network?)

How to charge at RV parks.

STATS:

Miles 1,507

Weather: from roughly 25 degrees to 55 degrees Fahrenheit

Altitude: up down, up down, up down. (Lowest point: 5,300 ft and highest was over 10,000ft

SPEED: car said it averaged 55mph. Speed limit was 65- 80mph for most of the driving.

COST: $313

See attached Public Charging summary. Does not include charging at free locations.

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[julianm]

Only issue was front windshield froze quickly and while it defrosted just as fast, the wipers iced over.

Took mine through a winter storm last month. I’ve also noticed the wipers accumulating too much ice to be effective. Given how complicated it is to get them into “service mode” to lift them up, I was hoping they’d avoid that somehow.

My Polestar 2 had a heated nozzle when spraying the fluid, not sure if that was what helped, or the location of the wipers when resting.

The other issue I experienced, which has been regularly reported, was ice buildup around a window preventing it from dropping slightly when opening / closing the door. Was a little worried I’d break a window!

 

[julianm]

(I’ve heard that I can use Tesla private chargers with an adapter. What adapter is that? And should I wait to buy it until I can use their network?)

Tesla Level 3 DC chargers — Superchargers — will require waiting until Porsche gets access. At that point you can get the official adapter or a third party one.

Tesla Level 2 AC chargers — what they call Destination Chargers or Home Chargers — you can (mostly) use today with an AC adapter. Lectron and TeslaTap are two popular brands. There are in theory some that are really locked to Teslas (supposedly the red sign “Tesla Only” ones), which truly didn’t work for me years ago, but I don’t know if that situation has changed since they’ve started allowing other brands onto Superchargers. The future DC adapter you’ll need for above won’t work with AC chargers, so you’ll need two adapters if you want both Level 3 and Level 2.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

Thanks Julianm. I guess I'm getting two more adapters....

There is a service mode for the wipers??

The other thing that annoys me is that I can't wipe the full back window with a squeegee when it's dirty. Luckily I have a whole roll of paper towels..

Tomorrow is Magdalena's bath day .

 

[tonysmart]

This car is just so incredibly amazing!

I’m Denver, CO based. I bought a used `21 Taycan 4CT (“Magdalena”) in December sight unseen from a dealer in NJ. Picked it up Jan. 7, drove it across country (2,500 miles) in a polar vortex and then just finished a 1,500 mile trip as a chaperone for a school camping trip. The group drove from Denver, CO to Zion National Park, to Grand Canyon south rim and then finished up in Moab, UT/Arches National Park before driving back to Denver.

Things I learned:

Range mode – Makes a difference. On a 325-mile trip, using Range mode, I was able to stop only once for a charge (~40min). Did the ride in 5 and a half hours, whereas an ICE would have been 5, so not bad. (Usually, my bladder gives out before the battery does.) Trying to explore this more, but then I want to use Sport mode…

Charging Technique: Chargers were rare, but always dependable.

Figured out a 110volt “Top off Technique”. One resort had a free Level 2 charger near the main lodge, but our house was a 5 min drive away. I would leave the car plugged in near the main lodge, then drive to the house and plug it in (usually overnight) at a simple 110 outlet. This allowed me to “top off”. One overnight I went from 73% to 85% (roughly 10 hours.)

It’s not worth moving from a 150kWh charger to a 350kWh charger if the 150kWh is giving you over 125. I did it twice. Once it annoyingly dropped from (averages) 140 to 75 and the second time, I only went from 129 to 169 (averages). Although the data might not be solid, since I wasn’t charging for the same duration and from the same %.



On this trip, I really got to experience the car in so many different driving conditions, I can’t say enough how impressed I am and how much fun it is to drive.

Blizzard conditions – Magdalena performed admirably in a serious white out blizzard at night over Vail Mountain pass (10,000 ft.) Brand spanking new 20” Blizzak snow tires, Gravel mode. Only issue was front windshield froze quickly and while it defrosted just as fast, the wipers iced over. Pulled over and toweled off the ice and was fine.

Also tested stopping power at 50mph. Slid a bit, as expected in ice, but then regained control easily.

Deep hard snow – drove through it like butter! The Tesla beside me got stuck in less snow. We were both going to chargers, which, of course, were not dug out.

Mountain Canyon Curves - Hello, Sport Mode!

Launch Mode - best tried with two 11-year-old boys in the back seat!!!

Long stretches of highway with or without traffic – Unlike my ex-husband’s Tesla, which drives like a teenager, the ACC has finesse. I also use it to not go 100mph in a 60. Love passing people in seconds.

What I want to learn:

Looking at the dramatic differences in charging rates, particularly in the same Tesla charger, I want to understand how to get faster rates more consistently.

I also want to understand how to get better range. The most I’ve seen at 100% is 213 miles.

How to set the trip feature to show what the actual trip was, not just “since this morning/last charge.”

What I need for June, when we can use the Tesla charging network. (I’ve heard that I can use Tesla private chargers with an adapter. What adapter is that? And should I wait to buy it until I can use their network?)

How to charge at RV parks.

STATS:

Miles 1,507

Weather: from roughly 25 degrees to 55 degrees Fahrenheit

Altitude: up down, up down, up down. (Lowest point: 5,300 ft and highest was over 10,000ft

SPEED: car said it averaged 55mph. Speed limit was 65- 80mph for most of the driving.

COST: $313

See attached Public Charging summary. Does not include charging at free locations.

I love it in that color! What a machine, just pure joy. Thanks for sharing that amazing trip!

 

[Tighlines]

Looks like a great trip. The car really does excel in all conditions but I believe it really comes to life on the mountain passes.
You'll notice a big jump in range when the weather warms up and that will also help with charging speed. The colder the battery is during charging, the slower it charges. One thing you can do is precondition the battery before you plug it in. NAV can help with that and simply putting the car is sport plus mode can preheat the battery to allow for faster charging.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

Yes. I think it's doing that as I always plug in the location of the charger on the nav, but since the PCM doesn't allow me to search for the name of the location (like Google maps), I question if it is.


Going forward, I'm going to record if I did, look at battery temp (now that I know how to do that) and percentage (I think that's SOC.) I think the two times I got low speeds on the Tesla chargers I may not have preconditioned

 

[gtm]

Yes. I think it's doing that as I always plug in the location of the charger on the nav, but since the PCM doesn't allow me to search for the name of the location (like Google maps), I question if it is.


Going forward, I'm going to record if I did, look at battery temp (now that I know how to do that) and percentage (I think that's SOC.) I think the two times I got low speeds on the Tesla chargers I may not have preconditioned

Assuming you have the 150 kW charging option on your car you will top out at around 135 kW on a Tesla supercharger. If the car doesn't have that option the max you will see is 50 kW. From looking at your chart you do not have the 150 kW option and will see a very steady 50 kW until you get over 90% SoC. Don't waste the energy trying to precondition if you are headed to a Tesla Supercharger.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

Assuming you have the 150 kW charging option on your car you will top out at around 135 kW on a Tesla supercharger. If the car doesn't have that option the max you will see is 50 kW. From looking at your chart you do not have the 150 kW option and will see a very steady 50 kW until you get over 90% SoC. Don't waste the energy trying to precondition if you are headed to a Tesla Supercharger.

Wait,...what?? What is the 150kW charging option (for Tesla chargers?) on my car?

The first time I charged (same charger) I got 116. I was probably about 10% and charged for 34 minutes. The next day I charged at a higher percentage (but may not have preconditioned) and got a speed of 50 kWh for 49 minutes and later 46 kWh for 21 minutes.

 

[gtm]

Wait,...what?? What is the 150kW charging option (for Tesla chargers?) on my car?

The first time I charged (same charger) I got 116. I was probably about 10% and charged for 34 minutes. The next day I charged at a higher percentage (but may not have preconditioned) and got a speed of 50 kWh for 49 minutes and later 46 kWh for 21 minutes.

Sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any stress. I missed the first Tesla charging session on your chart. You have the 150 kW option. I don't even know why it was an option as it was relatively inexpensive and would let you get reasonable speeds if Porsche ever got access to the (400 volt) Tesla network.

 

[snstevens]

First, let me say that you are very courageous! I don’t know a lot of people who would attempt both of the drives you took in a Taycan right off the bat. It sounds like you’re having a great time ?

This is the Lectron adapter I bought in anticipation of access to the Tesla SuC Network.

I have a Tesla Tap connector for L2 charging (220V at Tesla destination chargers. Hotels, etc.) but this one from Lectron looks good. It’s smaller.

 

[CT Cruiser]

sounds like an exciting adventure and quality time enjoying the new ride. I also got my Taycan from NJ but I had it shipped to Colorado. Good on you for diving right in.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

Sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any stress.

None taken. Before I bought the used one, I considered buying used and didn't see that. What shocked me was that was even an option. Who wouldn't want that?!?!?

 

[MoniqueDenver]

@snstevens Thank you! I appreciate the advice. Speaking of advice, I don't know if I would call it courageousness or just well researched-ness. LOL. I spent a LOT of time reading this forum and watching videos, asking friends, etc. So I think I new more than the (non-Porsche) dealer about electric cars. I also gave myself time to make mistakes, so the risk wasn't all that high.

@CT Cruiser - oh! If I see a Mahogany one, I'll wave! That a beautiful color!

 

[gtm]

None taken. Before I bought the used one, I considered buying used and didn't see that. What shocked me was that was even an option. Who wouldn't want that?!?!?

I am amazed that the 150 kw charger was even an option. My dealer tried to talk me out of it since I'd "never use it". For $460 you could future-proof your car to be able to use the Tesla Supercharger network. Sure access might never happen but if/when we get access you would be sitting at 50 kW without this option. I've taken advantage of several locations with Magicdocs and a steady 135 kW charging speeds.

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