Public Charging Options

[Reg]

Can someone please clarify what the public charging options are?

I understand that the Taycan takes CCD or J1772 plugs.

Where does CHAdeMO fit in? Is it a brand name or a different standard that the Taycan can't take?

Also, which are the fast chargers?

thanks

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[Td78]

Can someone please clarify what the public charging options are?

I understand that the Taycan takes CCD or J1772 plugs.

Where does CHAdeMO fit in? Is it a brand name or a different standard that the Taycan can't take?

Also, which are the fast chargers?

thanks

Reg,


I have been doing some research the past couple days on this topic too. The two you mention, J1772 and CHAdeMo are two separate standards that appear to not be converted from one to another easily, like with a simple plug adaptor for example. CCS is a type of a level 3 J1772 standard that includes DC charging capability for a faster charge. The Japanese manufacturers generally have adopted CHAdeMo while the rest (including Porsche) have generally adopted the J1772, or more specifically, the CCS combo 1, standard.


Level 1 is 120 volts, level 2 is 240 volts and level 3 is up to 500 volts if older or 1,000 volts if newer. This is where it seems to get trickier. Older public charging equipment was built to support 400 volts, which was the norm under the previous level 3?J1772 standards. The newer equipment supports 800 volts. This is where the Taycan is special, because it has a 800 volt system and can charge at that higher voltage. What I can’t tell is whether most public charging equipment using CCS is at 400 or 800 volt. As you an imagine, Electrify America, a subsidiary of VW group, is building 800 volt chargers. This is important because wattage (which is a product of volts and amps) doubles when you double the volts, if all other things are equal. Keep that formula in mind as it helps understand charging speed and times even for AC. For example 240 volt 40 amp home charging (level 2) is 9.6 kilowatts. Divide this into the performance battery plus and you have roughly 10 hours of charging to refill the battery from empty.


If you sign up for an Electrify America account, you can see the max charging speeds at its stations. Google maps also has a similar feature. The EA chargers near me appear to support up to 350 kw. Another side note-the battery has to be conditioned properly to accept this max charge rate. This is another place where the Taycan stands out. It has a more advanced battery heating and cooling system for proper conditioning. My dealer tells me if you use the charging functionality in the navi or Connect app, the vehicle knows how/when to condition the battery for maximum charging potential.


To go from 5-80% of a 94 kWh battery in 22.5 minutes, as stated by Porsche, takes 200 kw on average. I have read various speculation as to whether faster charging could be supported by an ota update. But the 800 volt system certainly seems to support it.


Here lies another question...whether to get the optional charging upgrade for 400 volt chargers ($460, I think). Without the upgrade, charging on a 400 volt charger is limited to 50 kw. With the upgrade it increases to 150 kw. I ordered it on my 4S but subsequently read its unnecessary since nearly all CCS public chargers in the US are 800 volt. I am unsure how to look up voltage for a public charger. But if a charger I s rated at up to 350 kWh, as most of EAs, I suspect that means it is 800 volts. Many of the public chargers around me don’t even appear to be level 3 chargers based on the kWh charge rate showing on google maps. Something less than level 3 does little good unless charging overnight.


So, to answer your question, you need CCS or J1772 but there are many other factors to consider for the fastest charge rate.


Disclaimer: I am new to EVs and not an engineer. Someone else surely has more insight to share on this topic.

 

[Td78]

Copying this link that ron_b posted in another thread. Scroll down for a neat graph that shows charge rate peaking at 65% charge. That explains why my calculation of charging rate is different than the 270 kWh claimed.
https://jalopnik.com/an-extremely-detailed-look-at-the-porsche-taycans-engin-1837802533

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