Would you upgrade?

[Jhenson29]

On the surface, yes, most charging will occur overnight and will not benefit from 19.2kW but I would like to know and would feel more comfortable knowing I can do it in half that time. If the faster DC stations were closer and more plentiful I wouldn't be thinking of this.

I agree. Most people don’t drive more than 100miles a day, yet would scoff at the Taycan if its range was only 100miles. It’s the other days when you need more and it’s there that make a difference. 19.2kW is similar. Most days, it doesn’t make a material difference. But when you do need it, it’s nice to have.

However, I don’t know that it’s worth the retrofit cost. New, yes (for me). But another member looked into the cost to retrofit a while ago and it was very expensive compared to new. There’s a thread on it here somewhere.

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[ZenicaNC]

I agree. Most people don’t drive more than 100miles a day, yet would scoff at the Taycan if its range was only 100miles. It’s the other days when you need more and it’s there that make a difference. 19.2kW is similar. Most days, it doesn’t make a material difference. But when you do need it, it’s nice to have.

However, I don’t know that it’s worth the retrofit cost. New, yes (for me). But another member looked into the cost to retrofit a while ago and it was very expensive compared to new. There’s a thread on it here somewhere.

If the dealer quotes higher than $2k, I'll have to plan accordingly and hope he doesn't call me at 30% battery about something that can't wait. If he does, I could always take the Cayenne but it'll annoy me the whole time, burning gas when I thought I was done with that! plus it's not as fun to drive for hours at a time like the Taycan.

I'll know Friday how much the dealer will charge.

 

[Jhenson29]

If the dealer quotes higher than $2k

I can’t find the original thread (forum search has really sucked lately) but here’s a post from @daveo4EV referencing $5k for the retrofit.

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...-which-sides-charging-port.18901/#post-290737

 

[ShiftyWolf]

If the dealer quotes higher than $2k, I'll have to plan accordingly and hope he doesn't call me at 30% battery about something that can't wait.

You have me curious about how many miles your typical commute is. Are you routinely driving far enough to run from 85% to 30% in a day, or are you waiting to charge until your SOC drops that low? Because, if it's the second, the solution is far cheaper and much better for your battery.

Just wondering.

 

[Avantgarde]

Porsche will upgrade existing Taycans to the faster 19.2kW on-board AC charging through the dealer network.
This cuts the charge time at home to something like 6 hours for the upgraded battery. I'm considering it so I am wondering what the general consensus is regarding this option/upgrade.

I noticed most if not all but one CPO we looked at lacked this option in the build sheet so one could argue that I have my answer. I'm just left to wonder why. Why not want/have faster charging at home for when you don't want to plan a DC stop or a full 10 hours to charge.

On this subject, Taycans that don't have the upgraded 19.2kW charge at what? 9.xkW or 11kW?

Because humans on average need 8 hours of sleep and another hour for personal hygiene (shower brushing teeth etc). Which makes at home charging speeds faster than 11kw pointless except for some extreme scenarios one can imagine. (Eg somehow reach your home with a completely depleted battery, jump to bed for 5 hours and set out for another long distance drive before the day breaks) type scenario, when you would wish for the 19kw charger.

19kw AC charging could be relevant for public charging use cases in countries where dc charging is not widespread but somehow if there were 80 amp AC chargers available at public places like restaurants, parking spots, shopping centers, highway oasis’ etc etc. Not in the US…

 

[daveo4EV]

If the dealer quotes higher than $2k, I'll have to plan accordingly and hope he doesn't call me at 30% battery about something that can't wait. If he does, I could always take the Cayenne but it'll annoy me the whole time, burning gas when I thought I was done with that! plus it's not as fun to drive for hours at a time like the Taycan.

I'll know Friday how much the dealer will charge.

it's $2k for hardware alone ($1890 factory parts cost) - labor not included - it's a labor intense swap - my local dealer quoted $5k+ as noted in my link.

19.2 kW charging is not a thing in North America unless you have it installed at your work/home/vacation home - 100 amp breaker for 80 amp charge rate - very very very few public 19.2 kW EV chargers in the wild in North America - you're luck to find L2 30/40 amp EV chargers - when away from home you're depending on FastDc chargers - not 19.2 kW chargers - they are simply rare and mostly Tesla Destination chargers (so you need an 80 amp TeslaTap) - don't option this feature if you're planning to use it a lot away from home (unless you know for a fact your local golf course has a 19.2 kW EV charger for example).

$5k or more for dealer retrofit it's very very hard for me to see the value or even the use case for this option in North America.

 

[Tooney]

Porsche repeatedly posted when upgrade was announced that the onboard charger upgrade kit (parts) was $1850 and the install requires 12 hours of tech labor. You won't get all that for $2000.

 

[rim23]

Porsche will upgrade existing Taycans to the faster 19.2kW on-board AC charging through the dealer network.
This cuts the charge time at home to something like 6 hours for the upgraded battery. I'm considering it so I am wondering what the general consensus is regarding this option/upgrade.

I noticed most if not all but one CPO we looked at lacked this option in the build sheet so one could argue that I have my answer. I'm just left to wonder why. Why not want/have faster charging at home for when you don't want to plan a DC stop or a full 10 hours to charge.

On this subject, Taycans that don't have the upgraded 19.2kW charge at what? 9.xkW or 11kW?

Now comes the scary part - my current home is limited at 10A, which means my max charging is 2.2kwh. I don’t know why one would need 19kwh charging. 11 will be just enough

 

[agurkas]

I bought CT with 19.2kW on board because I wanted optionality.
Here is the reality for home charging - base charging setup is just fine. To do 11kW charging, you are doing a sub 50A circuit. That is 6AWG wire that is not that hard to run for most electricians. And absolute majority of home chargers will not be able to get you the chared past 11kW.

Now, there are some that can (including the spendy Porsche one), but for that, you need to run a 2AWG cable from the panel. I have run one before. It is stiffer than... ok I can't use that joke, but you get it. 2AWG wire costs around $15-$25 per FOOT, while I think I paid for my 6-3 Romex around $5 per foot. Electricians I have dealt with HATE hate HATE running those stiff cables.

So... why did I get 19.2kW - because I have seen some chargers around me that can go up that high, and as infrastructure gets upgraded, I want to have the ability to charge faster.
Taycan is not that rational choice in the first place... neither is 19.2kW... but I wanted it

 

[W1NGE]

I have an appointment with the dealer to sit with the shop foreman to go through the PIWIS options for changing some settings, like turning the rear LED strip on with DRL and silencing the trunk "reversing" beep/tone. I'll ask about the cost of the upgrade then.

My main reason for wanting it is to be able to charge to 90% or so from 5 or 10% in a few hours should I need to make an unexpected trip. My late mothers widower lives 80 miles from me and he likes to call with some problem that requires me to drive to him at the most inopportune times, like if I am sitting at 15% charge. The nearest DC charger is 30 minutes in the opposite direction. Heading towards him has very limited charging options.

Even the nearest DC charger at Target only has four stations and very often, 2 or 3 are occupied.

Depending on what the dealer cites, a $2k price tag is digestible for the reduction in charge time.

Its a $2K option and so a non factory fit could likely double that cost.

 

[W1NGE]

Now comes the scary part - my current home is limited at 10A, which means my max charging is 2.2kwh. I don’t know why one would need 19kwh charging. 11 will be just enough

Does your car charge ok at 2.2?
I thought there was a minimum threshold to ensure a successful charging session.

This must make home charging painfully slow, 0.1 miles of range a minute?

 

[rim23]

Does your car charge ok at 2.2?
I thought there was a minimum threshold to ensure a successful charging session.

This must make home charging painfully slow, 0.1 miles of range a minute?

It manages to charge even at -20C with this speed. Of course, half of the charge goes to heating up the battery, but it does work. Never had problems. My monthly mileage is 1000-1500km/month. And keeping the car charged at 80%, I only use about 20-30%. It has enough time to charge and be ready for the next day

Gladly, I’m moving to a new house that has 11kw charger soon.

 

[mutanthands]

I don't know where in the US the OP lives, but surely you'll pass close to a rapid charger in a 160-mile round trip?

The trick with an EV is ABC - Always be charging. I keep mine at 80% whenever I'm home.
If there's an emergency and I need to be somewhere, I usually have enough charge to go via a rapid charger. Quite simply, it's not really worth the $5k to retrofit, as there are usually viable alternative options.

 

[jonjon808]

Because humans on average need 8 hours of sleep and another hour for personal hygiene (shower brushing teeth etc). Which makes at home charging speeds faster than 11kw pointless except for some extreme scenarios one can imagine. (Eg somehow reach your home with a completely depleted battery, jump to bed for 5 hours and set out for another long distance drive before the day breaks) type scenario, when you would wish for the 22kw charger.

22 kw AC charging could be relevant for public charging use cases in countries where dc charging is not widespread but somehow if there were 100 amp AC chargers available at public places like restaurants, parking spots, shopping centers, highway oasis’ etc etc. Not in the US…

I agree that the 22KW is overkill for home. I got the 22kW for work charging rather than home. We have a limited number of charge points, but they are all 22KW capable. Chargin faster means I don't block the space for the whole day, when someone else could get the charge they need.

There are quite a few 22KW public chargers in the UK, either on their own, or as an AC plug option on an older DC charger that gives 50-75KW. Having the 22kW charger just opens up the possibilities.

 

[ZenicaNC]

Well damn. $5k is a harder pill to justify than $2k. I'm 99% sure I'd skip this upgrade at that price point. There aren't many charging stations near him let alone faster DC charging. I can make a stop along the way if I start with 25% or take the Cayenne and bemoan the gas. I guess I just liked the idea of charging in half the time at home and having options to charge faster should I encountered a 19.2kW station if the fast DC are occupied.

What are the steps and pitfalls of using Tesla stations? I see the adapters for sale, is that all one needs? It seems unlikely to be that simple. Admittedly I haven't researched the steps, just asking out of hand.

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