Mobile Charge Connect - Is it really needed ?

[daveo4EV]

6-20 outlet with 20 amp rated wire and a 20 amp 240V breaker would be ideal - the assumption here is that the existing wire is "20 amp" rated - meaning it's a fairly small job of swapping components on the two "ends"...

then you simply need to find a 20 amp rated EV charger - there are a lot of options including hardwired 20 amp (16 amp charge rate) J-1772 chargers...

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[kort]

6-20 outlet with 20 amp rated wire and a 20 amp 240V breaker would be ideal - the assumption here is that the existing wire is "20 amp" rated - meaning it's a fairly small job of swapping components on the two "ends"...

then you simply need to find a 20 amp rated EV charger - there are a lot of options including hardwired 20 amp (16 amp charge rate) J-1772 chargers...

this is what I am currently using and it is painfully slow. Max input is 6 miles per hour. if the OP can, run a 50 amp line and install a nema 14-50.
I will eventually upgrade to that but I am delayed because of the costs and condo association BS

 

[Avantgarde]

I'd need to check the electrical code (your electrician or local code enforcement might know as well), but its possible that if you have a 20 amp GFCI in your electrical panel and you have 20 amp wire going to your garage, you can install a 14-50 outlet and plug the PMC+ into that (the PMC+ comes with a 14-50 plug).
You will need to set the PMC+ to a max of 16 amps (80% of the circuits rated 20 amps).
When you do this, you'd want to label the 14-50 outlet with words like "Maximum 20 amps" in case in the future someone wants to plug a 50 amp load into that 14-50 outlet. In my garage, the 14-50 plug is labeled "Maximum 40 amps".

Edit: I just found the code and with a 14-50 outlet (receptacle) you can use either 40amp or 50amp wiring. So it looks like 20 amp is a no go. You'd need to install a 6-20 outlet.

Thanks for checking this. Funny you came up with this scenario because I was actually thinking about the exact same (did not know about the code) and was wondering how to limit amps on PMC+ to 16amps. There is a 50% button on it but assumed that would take it down only to 20 amps (from 40) when you attach a 14-50 adapter to it. The tech spec sheet on PMC+'s manual is a joke. Does not talk at all about amperage rating that comes with different adapters (and what 50% button does in each scenario).

 

[Avantgarde]

https://store.clippercreek.com/leve...0p-plug-in-16-amp-level-2-evse-240v-nema-6-50

this is a 16 amp charger (20 amp breaker) that plugs into a 3 wire 6-50 outlet

here is a rough outline of how to do this:

• your existing 5-15 plug has 3 wires - most likely 12 or 14 gauge wire - 12 would be better
• turn off the power to your home
• find the breaker that "feeds" your EV plug
• purchase a 240V 20 amp breaker for your electrical box ($50 or less)
• take out the 120V breaker - and replace it with the 240V breaker
• wire the two high voltage wires (hot + neutral) from the previous breaker to the new breaker
• at the "plug" end of the circuit - swap the NEMA 5-15 plug socket for a NEMA 6-50 plug socket ($50 or less)
• wire up the NEMA 6-50 outlet
• mount the ClipperCreek charger on the wall near the 6-50 plug
• safely restore power once both ends of the circuit are wired up
• test the circuit for power flow (test hot-1 + ground, test hot-2 + ground, test hot-1 + hot-2) with a multi-meter
• if circuit is working
• plug in the Clipper Creek charger
• and volia you're done - you can now charge at 240V * 16 amps or 3.84 kW
• label the 6-50 plug with a laminated sign - 20 amp _ONLY_ - EVSE ONLY - future owners will not confuse the 6-50 outlet for a 50 amp circuit
• DO NOT MAKE THESE CHANGES IF THIS CIRCUIT IS SHARED - i.e. if there is more than one outlet serviced by this breaker - other devices/appliances sharing this circuit may not tolerate 240V

I could do this in about 3 hours - should take no more than a day once you have all the suppllies from home depot

or you can purchase a mobile EVSE like the mustart for $400 or less, make the wiring changes in the breaker box- and simply plug the Mustart into the existing outlet via a plug adapter.

Thanks for the detailed response. Assume this is the Mustart I should get. (Appreciate the other route of 6-50 plug on 20 amp wiring but I can't do this myself and an believe an electrician would refuse to do it)
https://www.amazon.com/MUSTART-Port...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

 

[Avantgarde]

also the PMC+ will never use 16 amps - it's either a 12 amp or 24 amp device - porsche has no supply cable or setting for 20 amp breaker

so the PMC+ can only be 1 of the following 6 amp settings in this scenario

• NEMA 5-15 supply cable - 12 amps
• NEMA 5-15 supply cable + 1/2 setting button - 6 amps
• NEMa 6-30 supply cable - 24 amps
• NEMA 6-30 supply cable + 1/2 settings button - 12 amps
• NEMA 6-50 supply cable - 40 amps
• NEMA 6-50 supply cable + 1/2 setting - 20 amps

there is no configuration in which I can envision with a Porsche supply cable that you can get a PMC+ into a 16 amp configuration (20 amp breaker)

I think PMC+ pulls 240v/16 amps when used with the german (european) basic adapter (equivalent of base 5-15 in the US). But who knows.. I am telling you technical specs of this thing is such a mystery...Manual says "32 amps" and that's it, which is whole another random datapoint. I don't think top end would be limited to 24 amps though, that would limit chargre rate to ~6kw. I does say it can charge at 9.6kw

 

[daveo4EV]

I think PMC+ pulls 240v/16 amps when used with the german (european) basic adapter (equivalent of base 5-15 in the US). But who knows.. I am telling you technical specs of this thing is such a mystery...Manual says "32 amps" and that's it, which is whole another random datapoint. I don't think top end would be limited to 24 amps though, that would limit chargre rate to ~6kw. I does say it can charge at 9.6kw

those are the charge rates for North America based on the available plug-adpater supply cables from Porsche. Given the supply cables for the PMC+/PMCC the following AMP's are the ONLY charge rate in North American market with a VW/Audi/Porsche PMC+/PMCC

• 12 amps
• 24 amps
• 40 amps

all amps work at both 120v and 240 volts - I've personally tested all the variations with my PMCC - with the PMC+ "1/2 rate button" - the potential amps expand to:

• 6 amps (1/2 of 12)
• 12 amps - direct from 15 amp circuit (NEMA 5-15 or 6-15) or (1/2 of 24)
• 24 amps - direct from 30 amp breaker circuit (NEMA 14-30 or 6-30)
• 20 amps - 1/2 of 40 amp (NEMA 14-50 or 6-50)
• 40 amps - Nema 14-50 or 6-50

there is still no combination of supply cables or settings with the PMC+ that allow a 16 amp setting - but the PMCC has 1 amp granular settings via the LCD screen - so you can dial it anywhere from 6 amps to 40 amps in 1 amp increments.

the maximum rate of charge for a PMC+/PMCC in north America is 9.6 kw - or 240 volts @ 40 amps.

the only Porssche branded charger that goes above 9.6 kW is the Porsche Wall Charger which is hard wired, but can be adjusted from 12 amps to 80 amps (15-100 amp breaker) to achieve most any charge rate you desire - but it's not a mobile EV charger because it's hardwired, and big and bulking and mounted in a large case.

 

[daveo4EV]

I consider the PMC+/PMCC to be substandard EV chargers (EVSE) and they do not excel at any particluar aspect of their goals as a product: Flexibilty (no), Reliability (no), Mobility (no), cost (no)

and when forced to pay for the PMC+/PMCC outside of it being included with the vehicle it's price is outragous even by Porsche standards, especially when compared to high-quality non-Porsche alternatives

PMC+/PMCC is a terrible introduction to mobile EV charing and the feature set is complex awful in the North American market - there are better higher quality more affordable choices that are more functional and more mobile…

the Porsche Wall Charger however is an excellent high quality very functional and price competitive high quality product that I would choose _OVER_ non Porsche alternatives and I can highly recommend it for a high-AMP north american EV charging solution (it for example is actually less money than the PMCC if you by one separately from your Porsche vehilcle - say a 2nd unit to live a vacation home)

PMC+/PMCC - expensive and awful but included with the car - not @daveo4EV recommended
Porsche Wall Charger - fantastic product, good price, excellent functionality - buy it please...if you want a fixed installed EV charger.

 

[Avantgarde]

I consider the PMC+/PMCC to be substandard EV chargers (EVSE) and they do not excel at any particluar aspect of their goals as a product: Flexibilty (no), Reliability (no), Mobility (no), cost (no)

and when forced to pay for the PMC+/PMCC outside of it being included with the vehicle it's price is outragous even by Porsche standards, especially when compared to high-quality non-Porsche alternatives

PMC+/PMCC is a terrible introduction to mobile EV charing and the feature set is complex awful in the North American market - there are better higher quality more affordable choices that are more functional and more mobile…

the Porsche Wall Charger however is an excellent high quality very functional and price competitive high quality product that I would choose _OVER_ non Porsche alternatives and I can highly recommend it for a high-AMP north american EV charging solution (it for example is actually less money than the PMCC if you by one separately from your Porsche vehilcle - say a 2nd unit to live a vacation home)

PMC+/PMCC - expensive and awful but included with the car - not @daveo4EV recommended
Porsche Wall Charger - fantastic product, good price, excellent functionality - buy it please...if you want a fixed installed EV charger.

Thanks looked like PMC+ was sold for $2000 so I assumed it was high quality so have been trying to make use of that vs a $300 charger off amazon. But you seem to have done a lot of research on this.

 

[Jhenson29]

Thanks looked like PMC+ was sold for $2000 so I assumed it was high quality so have been trying to make use of that vs a $300 charger off amazon. But you seem to have done a lot of research on this.

Dave is 100% right. Porsche’s mobile chargers are nothing special and actually sub-par in the US. I’d never get one if it wasn’t free with the car. Note that’s just the mobile chargers. The wall charger (as Dave also mentions) does appear to be a good option, but probably not worth the money if you can’t utilize the higher charging speed.

 

[daveo4EV]

Thanks looked like PMC+ was sold for $2000 so I assumed it was high quality so have been trying to make use of that vs a $300 charger off amazon. But you seem to have done a lot of research on this.

Mustart, chargepoint, Tesla, clipper creek, juicebox and other's

my main beefs with the PMC+/PMCC are:

• cost - it's excessive, not just porsche expensive _EXCESSIVE_ and I say this as a beat down died in the wool price immune long time porsche customer
• size
• weight
• general bulkyness as a mobile charger
• lack of wide range of adapter cables for North America
• porsche charges nearly the cost of an entire mobile charger (mustart/tesla UMC gen2) for a 1 ft NEMA 14-30 supply cable - $200 - $300 for a NEMA 6-50 supply cable from Porsche Parts - $300 buys you an ENTIRE Mustart Travel charger…$245 buys you the entire kit of adatpers for the Tesla UMC Gen 2 (NEMA 5-20, 6-15, 6-20, 10-30, 14-30, 14-50, 6-50, storage bag for less money than Porsche's simple 1 ft supply cable).
• the NEMA 14-50/6-50 supply cables overheat and get too warm/hot to touch in normal use - because on Porsche's $2000 EVSE they cheaped out and use 10 gauge wire inside the NEMA 14-50 and 6-50 supply cables which while safe gets very very hot during normal use - a better choice would've been 8 gauge wire and probably cost them an extra $0.73 in manufacturing cost - but they didn't do that because it's the same cable as they shipped with the 918 Spyder for it's 32 amp EV charger and was already spec'd and in the VW/Audi/Porsche parts catalog (this buy the way is the same cable they ship with their hybrid products Cayenne/Panamera all of which max out at 32 amps) - mind you the cable is SAFE and functional, but it gets very very hot to touch once you've been charging for 3 or more hours.
  • Porsche has even acknowledged this and responded to forum members with a recomendation for the PMCC to turn down the amps to 32 amps if they find the temperature uncomfortable - so they are recommending you adjust your 40 amp charger to be a 32 amp charger if you don't like how hot it gets. Again not a quality product. Other 40 amp EV chargers have no such issues, why? They use 8 or 6 gauge wire in their chargers which won't get as warm.
• charger is finky and throws errors and ground faults at the drop of a hat
• recent softwares updates have rendered it incompatible for charging my son's Tesla Model Y - no idea how they broke this - worked for months prior to this as it should - good luck explaining this one your Porsche service guy and getting them to care.
• it's just not a premium product, being sold for an extra beyond excessive premium price vs. high quality and highly functional alternatives

Tesla UMC Gen2 charger + a full set of adapters + Tesla Tap (useful on it's own - should have one anyways) can be had for less than $700 shipped and taxes

there are just better alternatives with out the issues of Porsche's offerings in this space.

but then again I'm probably off my rocker.

 

[daveo4EV]

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/nema-14-50-supply-cable-heat-data.1940/

the above thread will cure insomnia…

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