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

[Tooney]

Or, same link https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
Use the Vehicles Tab,
Enter your vehicle's year make and model

 

[hifi239]

Thanks. Not easy to find. For those interested:

Thanks for that. So actually, it seems Porsche is blaming cheap wall sockets and not the PMCC or the 10AWG cabling at all. I'm sort of on board with that. My PMCC runs cool enough in a Hubble socket. There are lots of cases where 14-50 plugs burned up on other brand EVSEs on a cheap wall socket. The Hubble advice came originally from Tesla owners, I believe. From the language, it seems like Porsche might not even go to 8AWG, but rather, they are providing a cable with a temperature sensor in the plug. Presumably, this detects overheating caused by poor connections in the socket, which will shut down the PMCC box.

Regardless, if this is a live safety recall, why haven't I gotten a letter? Is it because Equipment not part of the car doesn't force Porsche to do that?

Edit: Answer from the recall " Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk are expected to be mailed February 9, 2024. "

 

[Tooney]

Vehicle-side charging cable may have to be replaced on PMC+ and PMCC due to overheating:
https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...charging-cable-dec-18-2023.18826/#post-289644

 

[daveo4EV]

Porsche’s failure in this space is now complete

 

[Tooney]

Porsche’s failure in this space is now complete

Your reply didn't take long to appear....
Hey, now we may have to change the OTHER cable, too.
Oh but since we can't change just the vehicle-side cable on a PMC+, you have to get a PMCC.
Will a PMCC fit in the frunk?

 

[daveo4EV]

$3200 EVSE ? so much fail

 

[Tooney]

PMCC car cable dropped and broke? That new cable will be $700, sir.
https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/expensive-drop.18939/#post-291661

 

[daveo4EV]

PMCC car cable dropped and broke? That new cable will be $700, sir.
https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/expensive-drop.18939/#post-291661

yeah - PMC+/PMCC fail as an EVSE and the Porsche TAX really doesn't work in this context

 

[hifi239]

I posted elsewhere but wanted to add this to this thread. I checked my VIN at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and it is now showing the APB6 cable as a vehicle recall, not an equipment recall, and showing "Recall Incomplete" in red for my car, with suggestions on how to complain further. In Massachusetts, I believe that would prevent my car from being sold, by a dealer anyway.

 

[Tooney]

APB6 Recall NHTSA complaint:
It is now May 10, 2024 which certainly qualifies as a "later date" and there has been no further information much less delivery of an updated charger cable. Please have them make good on this promise!

 

[daveo4EV]

APB6 Recall NHTSA complaint:
It is now May 10, 2024 which certainly qualifies as a "later date" and there has been no further information much less delivery of an updated charger cable. Please have them make good on this promise!

I can understand people wanting resolution on this - but frankly Porsche's approach here for keeping the same flawed 10 AWG gauge power supply cable but they will/have add(ed) a thermal sensor that will either reduce/turn-off charging when the cable gets "too warm" is missing the Point. I'm all for safety and Porsche's "fix" addresses the core issue (avoiding melting NEMA sockets) - but this "fix" will still leave the PMC+/PMCC as a thermally undesirable EVSE - and depending on how you schedule your charging could/will leave you with an inadequate charge when you wake up in the morning…

even with the fix, my opinion is you're better off with a non-Porsche EVSE - you know one that doesn't get that that hot to be begin with - even though Porsche will now avoid melting NEMA sockets.

* - this opinion is based on the observed replacement cable that has been delivered to some Audi customers - to date the replacement cable still seems to be AWG 10 gauge wire with the addition of a thermal sensor and reprogramming of the PMC+/PMCC - it remains unclear what the unit's response to the thermal sensor is - I'm guessing it will reduce charging current.

My opinion remains: The power supply cable should not get hot to begin with and there is no reason to continue to ship a power supply cable that has a nominal operating temperature of 160F - it doesn't have to be this way. VW/Audi/Porsche's "solution" in this space is the wrong solution to the cord problem

Correct Solution: PowerSupply Cable with 6 AWG wire and thermal sensor - it will run cooler and the thermal sensor will continue to provide a last ditch safety factor.

 

[daveo4EV]

add the new thread where some people are now receiving the new cable!

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...e-replacement-from-porsche.20051/#post-308314

good news the new cable appears to have upgraded/improved 8 AWG wire to run cooler and the already known/disclosed thermal sensor (which means the PMC+/PMCC will no longer be oblivious to excess operating temperatures - this is a good thing) - still no disclosure/specfication/expected-behavior as to "HOW" the PMC+/PMCC respond to the temperature sensor or what the "trigger" values are - but I trust since porsche has done this work, they have done the right thing and know what they are doing…wouldn't redesign the cable and then botch the monitoring/software response - I'll spot them competence until we have data proving otherwise…

this is good news and should move the PMC+/PMCC at least into the acceptable category as an EVSE with more reasonable nominal operating temperatures for 9.6kW/40 amp charging…

just about exactly 4 years to the day - when I first sent them an eMail noting the very high nominal operating temperatures in my garage - better late than never...

all in all the new cable has a thermal sensor (based on disclosures from Porsche, I have not personally verified that) and from labeling on the cable insulation 8 AWG wire which should run cooler - good news!!!!

 

[daveo4EV]

the new power supply cable is rolling out to North American owners - early data indicates the PMC+/PMCC now actively varies the charge rate based on thermal data from the new sensor - this is having the undesirable effect of elongating charging sessions…this also does not bode well for Porsche's bizarre charging timer's/profile which are "departure based" timing - departure based timing requires that the vehicle can accurately predict a "linear" charge rate - if the PCM+/PMCC is throttling the charge rate to reduce operating temperature then the charge rate is no longer linear and it will miss it's timing predication…

if true Porsche managed to take the worst EVSE on the North American market and make it even worse…quite an engineering accomplishment!

more data is required to determine if this is in fact what is happening.

 

[Tooney]

May have to do with PMC+/PMCC what Kyle did when high plug temps throttled Tesla superchargers: wrap the plug in cold wet towel to resume full charging rate...

This 'FAQ - Ultimate Guide to Porsche EVSE' thread is never gonna end, is it?

 

[Tooney]

Recent forum post about Porsche EVSE which had cable replaced and software updated by the recall:
Charger Fault - Device Temperature Too Low