[North America] - FAQ: the ultimate guide to the Porsche EVSE PMC+/PMCC/PWCC

[Jonathan S.]

@daveo4EV How are you arriving at "a full charge at 9.6 kW can take 10+ hours (from 10% or less to 100%)"? My calcs show ~8hrs with a standard 48a hardwired charger, and that matches up with my own experience. (Of course the PCM and app vastly overstate the time...)

 

[daveo4EV]

@daveo4EV How are you arriving at "a full charge at 9.6 kW can take 10+ hours (from 10% or less to 100%)"? My calcs show ~8hrs with a standard 48a hardwired charger, and that matches up with my own experience. (Of course the PCM and app vastly overstate the time...)

90% of 84.3 = 75.87 kWh - call it 76

76 kWh / 9.6 kW (40 amp charge rate) = 7.91 hour * 1.1 = 8.7 hour - ok I was wrong - call it 9 hours from 10% to 100% (but we dont' charge to 100% everyday)...

48 amps would be 11 kW and the maths would be adjusted

 

[Jonathan S.]

Okay, I see how you calculated that -- but it's kind of apples and oranges. The faster speed from the Taycan 22kW option should be compared to a standard hardwired 48a EVSE. The 22kW option still allows for far faster charging times of course, but a hardwired 48a is so fast for home charging that I've had no problems sharing it with my wife.

 

[Tooney]

UK: Can't update Mobile Porsche Charger Connect beyond version 2925

 

[Tooney]

NHTSA Complaint - Fire while charging with Porsche charger - September 9, 2024

 

[julianm]

I ask all the following knowing the initial reaction is “buy another EVSE”. But I’d just like to understand if I can make what I currently have work.

I just took delivery of an on-lot Taycan that came with PMCC and a 25ft charging cable.

1. Should this have been delivered with the 240V NEMA 14-50 supply cable, or has that recall not been completely fulfilled?
2. Since this is WiFi connected can I configure it with my electricity rates (and thus ideal charging times)?

California, PG&E, extremely different overnight electricity rate vs afternoon. I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet that I previously used with Polestar’s included “mobile” charger, but I had to return that EVSE with the vehicle. I’m currently using another mobile EVSE I had, but it’s ~6.4 kW so I’d rather get this PMCC to work for now if I can.

 

[daveo4EV]

I ask all the following knowing the initial reaction is “buy another EVSE”. But I’d just like to understand if I can make what I currently have work.

I just took delivery of an on-lot Taycan that came with PMCC and a 25ft charging cable.

1. Should this have been delivered with the 240V NEMA 14-50 supply cable, or has that recall not been completely fulfilled?
2. Since this is WiFi connected can I configure it with my electricity rates (and thus ideal charging times)?

California, PG&E, extremely different overnight electricity rate vs afternoon. I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet that I previously used with Polestar’s included “mobile” charger, but I had to return that EVSE with the vehicle. I’m currently using another mobile EVSE I had, but it’s ~6.4 kW so I’d rather get this PMCC to work for now if I can.

I'm not sure how to answer #1 - the cables are available but in short supply - so it's unclear if the Porsche dealer your purchased the vehicle from, didn't have the cables, didn't remember to update you, will do it later, or does not plan to provide the cables.

#2 - the PMCC's wifi is useful for status checking and uploading charging statistics and getting OTA updates for the PMCC unit it self, configuring the unit to recognize vehicle VIN's if you want to lock out who can charge - it offers no scheduling/rate management - any management of charging time for PG&E off-peak usage will have to be handled via the PCM"s in car profiles/timers…

good luck!

I'd recommend a wall mounted charger for $700 or less

• ChargePoint Flex
• Tesla Universal Wall Charger
• Wallbox
• Enphase/ClipperCreek
• Autel
• others…

 

[julianm]

I'm not sure how to answer #1 - the cables are available but in short supply - so it's unclear if the Porsche dealer your purchased the vehicle from, didn't have the cables, didn't remember to update you, will do it later, or does not plan to provide the cables.

#2 - the PMCC's wifi is useful for status checking and uploading charging statistics and getting OTA updates for the PMCC unit it self, configuring the unit to recognize vehicle VIN's if you want to lock out who can charge - it offers no scheduling/rate management - any management of charging time for PG&E off-peak usage will have to be handled via the PCM"s in car profiles/timers…

good luck!

I was eventually able to convince the local dealer to get me the 220V cable. They tried to pin it on the selling dealer, and the selling dealer said local dealer (I leased it from SoCal but am in NorCal). Too much back-and-forth. Regardless I have it now. One of the silly backwards-facing ones.

Ridiculous that it cannot be programmed over WiFi despite having that connectivity and clearly having some software-defined capabilities. Would’ve at least liked to see the costs, since I suspect PG&E’s guesses about % breakdowns of my usage are not quite accurate. Oh well.

I'd recommend a wall mounted charger for $700 or less

• ChargePoint Flex
• Tesla Universal Wall Charger
• Wallbox
• Enphase/ClipperCreek
• Autel
• others…

Totally. I’m only even attempting this because the PMCC already came with this particular vehicle. I’m fully-convinced to not option it.

I got my parents the ChargePoint Flex which they’re relatively happy with. I’ll probably get a Wallbox eventually. My complaints with what’s available are mostly aesthetic. I’ll buy one of the above when/if I get too frustrated with the PMCC. At least the PMCC looks nice(-ish). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[daveo4EV]

added the latest TSB - retrofits are hard - and it appears not all pre-existing PMC/PMC+ EVSE's are fully compatibility with the new thermal sensors…

updated to include the latest admission from Porsche that they may have to replace "faulty" units that do not like talking to the new thermal sensor enabled power supply cable.

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/tsb-porsche-mobile-charger-plus-supply-cable-failure-in-fixed-pmc-october-30-2024.22242/

Porsche continues to demonstrate the depth/quality of their EVSE game in writing.

anyone who's still using a Porsche EVSE and is surprised that there are problems and that Porsche is incapable of addressing these problems - and yet doesn't want to purchase an alternative EVSE - well I don't know what to say - you've been warned and the pivot to something else with fewer problems is: easy, better, affordable, and ultimately not a big deal…

waiting around for Porsche to fix their problems in this space - well it's a bit like the old joke about a guy waiting around for god to save him from a flood…you've been offered multiple life lines here and a path forward is clear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_drowning_man#:~:text=The parable of the drowning man, also known,floodwaters, each time telling the would-be rescuers

big shout out and thanks to @Tooney I really enjoy the updates on the TSB data stream coming from Porsche - vehicle's are complex human accomplishments - no one vendor is going to be 100% perfect, and while TSB's are rarely the "best face to present" about a vehicle/vendor I'm a strong advocate of "better to know than not know" - the forums owe @Tooney big thanks for giving us all the option to be "well informed" consumers. I appreciate their time/effort in keeping us all well informed.

 

[daveo4EV]

Macan has introduced a "new" Porsche EVSE - called the Porsche Universal Charger - PUC…

on visual inspection it appears to be a warmed over PMC+ with:

• a new front face plate sticker with the "warning" sticker integrated
• new part number
• new name Porsche Universal Charger
• a slightly beefier attached J-1772 charging cable
• it came with what I'm guess is the "recall" NEMA 14-50 cable - it has the 8 gauge AWD wire stamped on the side and the plug-head facing the wrong direction
  • so I"m going to guess it also has the thermal sensor

I have no plans to use it, or even test it - but factually I have documented what comes with the Macan EV - and it's not much different that the PMC+ that we all know/love/understand.

links updated on this thread #1 post - but provided below for quick access - if you're up to date on this thread here - there is nothing new in the Macan thread - it's simply posted for completeness…

https://www.macanevowners.com/forum...charger-for-north-america….17007/#post-260101

 

[whitex]

Macan has introduced a "new" Porsche EVSE - called the Porsche Universal Charger - PUC…

on visual inspection it appears to be a warmed over PMC+ with:

• a new front face plate sticker with the "warning" sticker integrated
• new part number
• new name Porsche Universal Charger
• a slightly beefier attached J-1772 charging cable
• it came with what I'm guess is the "recall" NEMA 14-50 cable - it has the 8 gauge AWD wire stamped on the side and the plug-head facing the wrong direction
  • so I"m going to guess it also has the thermal sensor

I have no plans to use it, or even test it - but factually I have documented what comes with the Macan EV - and it's not much different that the PMC+ that we all know/love/understand.

links updated on this thread #1 post - but provided below for quick access - if you're up to date on this thread here - there is nothing new in the Macan thread - it's simply posted for completeness…

https://www.macanevowners.com/forum/threads/first-sighting-macan-evse-charger-for-north-america….17007/#post-260101

The warning sticker was already integrated the PMC+ which came with my 2023 Taycan and one which came with my 2024 Q8 eTron (a PMC+ with an Audi front plate sticker instead of Porsche). Both have now had the recall replacing the NEMA 14-50 cable with the thermal sensor (presumably, I actually haven't never plugged either of them into a live socket).

 

[Tooney]

Macan has introduced a "new" Porsche EVSE - called the Porsche Universal Charger - PUC…

Nice to know that Porsche is taking good care of new Macan EV owners with the Porsche EVSE.

 

[daveo4EV]

just to be clear - Porsche remains 100% clueless on EV/EVSE issues and charge rates…4 years has yielded _NO_ growth or sophistication as to what to do with an EVSE issue…{sigh}

post #25 - from this thread - https://www.macanevowners.com/forum...iversal-wall-charger.18123/page-2#post-273724

they simply have no idea how to respond or deal with these sorts of issues - like when 4 or more years ago we provided them with _DATA_ showing their EVSE had a thermal problem - OMG no wonder they want to go back to gas cars.

 

[Tooney]

Reply to 'the PMCC is a fabulous EVSE'

 

[daveo4EV]

Leviton joins the party - they have have an "EVSE rated" socket - apparently they didn't like missing out on the juicy EVSE NEMA 14-50 market and giving it all to Hubble…

https://www.macanevowners.com/forum...new-ev-owner-garage-setup….16974/#post-274964

this is good news in my opinion - the more the merrier!!

I like the EV-charging icon stamped into the face plate - this is a nice and highly visible touch to note you've installed the right type of socket!

so we now have an EV rated Leviton choice & hubble!!