[Perspective] - A happy Taycan owner road trip’s his Daughter’s Model Y…

[snstevens]

Maybe I can talk her into a Turbo this time.
Or debadge it and just don’t tell her what it is.

“Yeah honey, they really pepped up this 4S!”

Whenever I talk to my wife about my car, her eyes glaze over quickly. Has never looked at the badging and never will ?

 

[Jhenson29]

Whenever I talk to my wife about my car, her eyes glaze over quickly. Has never looked at the badging and never will ?

Yeah, my wife knows her car is green and has massage seats and that’s about it’s. I’m not sure she even knows it’s a Porsche or that it’s electric. I think she’s still trying to figure out how I’ve been getting gas out of the wall.

 

[ben1]

I have a Taycan and I had a Tesla. I am very happy with my Taycan. But I would strongly recommend Tesla to new buyers.

If you just look at the facts: It is just so much value for money compared to other cars, I don't understand why anybody is still buying new +40k euro ICE cars. (In Belgium at least, with the high gas prices and road taxes). And only few EV's are worth the money compared to a Tesla.

Luckily for other car manufacturers, buying a car is partially an emotional decision. If it was pure about facts and figures, everybody that has the budget, would buy a Tesla.

 

[PorscheGuyFromAZ]

we are approaching 1 week in the Model Y on our long distance trip (600 miles to go to get home monday Aug. 7th)

it's gratifying to me to note Tesla is still good/excellent in the areas it was when I had my last Tesla (2018 Model 3 performance) and yet has shown no progress in area where it was weak…there are various interior components that lack greatness - including one/two items that I'm going to attempt to get them to rectify under warranty (there are some "loose" interior components that need clips or securing)…

the Model Y is very very functional "box" and a great EV - but definately "mid-range" or lower in terms of comfort/quality - still a great option in my opinion vs. the plethora of mid-range/mediocre ICE SUV's - but definitely lacking higher quality "vibe" and room for improvement on the mechanical/physical side of things

I'll take a Model Y over nearly _ANY_ normal sub 50k ICE SUV - but again not ready to ditch the better quality products in favor of the Tesla…not ready to ditch my Cayenne Hybrid in favor of a Y or X - even though it kills me to drive an ICE vehicle - the Cayenne would have been a mucho better ride for this trip vs. the Model Y - what i really want is a well done full EV Cayenne ;-) but I'll need access to a reliable EV fast charging network…for the replacement for my Hybrid Cayenne…the Model Y was the correct choice for this trip, but not the ideal choice.

the Taycan with access to the Supercharger network would be nearly ideal in terms of mix of the Tesla EV world and Porsche's excellent vehicle design skills…for North America

the Model Y is a great choice for it's market segment and better to drive than most ICE vehicle

the supercharger network continues to provide a stark contrast vs. North American alternatives - and often times provides that contrast in nearly the exact same location - with supercharger's being a busy, vibrant and functional "hub" with Tesla's coming/going and getting charged - and the alternatives near by either demonstrably neglected, closed, dysfunctional or in the process of actively disappointing/frustrating/exasperating a CCS1 vehicle owner. (EA's purpose seems to be to actively discourage and punish EV ownership).

In the end I don't think I personally learned anything new on this trip - but rather confirmed some common perspectives…

• Tesla makes a mediocre car - but that maybe ok because that's true of MOST cars - it fit's nicely in that segment and in my mind a mediocre EV is better than a mediocre ICE - I'll take Tesla's crap over any/most nearly-all ICE mid-ranged SUV's - because it's an EV and EV wins in my opinion.
• supercharger network is vastly better than the CCS1 network in North America - and growing and better every month - CCS1 network demonstrated it's 2nd class standing at every opportunity in the I-5 segment.
• Taycan is a better car - and I greatly miss much of it's driver features and Porsche's luxury touches
• I prefer Tesla's software chops vs. posche's software chops but Porsche is acceptable.
• Range is about the same for the two cars in actual I-5 north/south use - even though Tesla lies and claims the Model Y could go further - it never did - I end up needing to stop in about the same places (and in some cases the same parking lot)

the biggest lesson however isn't with the cars…I got to spend time in the great PNW area, see Friday Harbor on San Juan island, saw my two daughters, my brother in law, dinner with friend in seattle and portland, spent time away from home with my wife, and met some fellow Taycan owners - in the end I'll forget the cars but remember the experiences and the people...

I really enjoy'd the trip - was lacking range anxiety because ya'know - but was refreshed and encouraged with the location, weather, and new people I met on the trip and the familiy I got to spend time with - and ultimately we have a cars to connect to world around us…and in some cases some distance from our normal lcoations…

I enjoy'd the trip, miss the Taycan as a my vehicle of choice, but do not regret the Model Y because of it's cargo capacity and greater mobility - it was the right choice for various reasons…

I hope Porsche has a plan for a reliable/extensive EV charging network for their Products - the mobility it enables is too important to forgo with my next EV purchase - because in the end it's what enables the experiences which is what I personally value.

I will be replacing my 2021 Cayenne eHybrid with a full EV luxury SUV - it is a requirement for this car to travel some distance with minimal hassle - the accessibility, reliability of the fast charging options it works with will be a key consideration/requirement in my purchase…even I'm curious as to what brand I'll be ultimately going with…I love my porsche's - but they have to be able to get me places…

As an owner of an amazing 2020 Taycan Turbo and a 2012 Cayenne S (ICE) SUV, I have a completely different point of view.

If you attach any value (monetary or experiential) to your time, why in the world would you take an EV (Model Y or Taycan) on such a long trip when you could take that trip in your 2021 Cayenne e-Hybrid?

My Taycan has never seen a DC fast charger. Why? Because my ICE Cayenne is the far better vehicle for a long road trip! It has plenty of cargo space, is luxurious and supremely comfortable and it’s got 425+ miles of proven cruising range. So on any long road trips I ride in comfort, make far fewer (and much shorter) stops to recharge/refuel and I arrive at my destination several HOURS sooner in my Cayenne than I would if I’d driven an EV.

Yes the Tesla charging network is superior (the Porsche of charging networks if you will) but IMHO for most EV buyers, the charging network should be a relatively minor part of the “which EV to buy” decision - - especially if the buyer has an alternative non-EV available for long road trips.

Just my 2 cents worth for everyone’s consideration on this thread.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

As an owner of an amazing 2020 Taycan Turbo and a 2012 Cayenne S (ICE) SUV, I have a completely different point of view.

If you attach any value (monetary or experiential) to your time, why in the world would you take an EV (Model Y or Taycan) on such a long trip when you could take that trip in your 2021 Cayenne e-Hybrid?

[...] my ICE Cayenne is the far better vehicle for a long road trip! It has plenty of cargo space, is luxurious and supremely comfortable and it’s got 425+ miles of proven cruising range. So on any long road trips I ride in comfort, make far fewer (and much shorter) stops to recharge/refuel and I arrive at my destination several HOURS sooner in my Cayenne than I would if I’d driven an EV.
[...]
Just my 2 cents worth for everyone’s consideration on this thread.

Answering with my 2c. Because (pick any or all of the following):
- road tripping is subjective - for some, time spent traveling is a cost, whereas for others it's part of the experience (maybe even the best). Hence time is not necessarily to be optimized away. And as I've often said, stopping more often makes for a more restful (long distance) trip, and that is something to optimize for. I've heard this advice all my life, but never followed it - and it only 'clicked' when I was forced to take those more frequent stops.
- 'comfortable', too, is subjective - how would you know if the Cayenne is better if you've never driven the Taycan on long trips? I find the driving position to be vastly superior in the latter compared to the Macan (my point of reference), which I would assume is similar to that of the Cayenne. On the rare occasion I have to get back in the Macan (to move it out of the way ?), I just find it odd and can't imagine ever taking it on a long trip again. (FWIW, it was my daily for ~4.5 years and ~40k miles.)
- I don't want to "go there", but there's something to be said for not burning gas when an alternative exists.

YMMV, as comparing a sedan with an SUV will always lose on practicality; I find my CT to be at least as practical as the Macan: it scores a bit better on cargo area length, and loses a bit for not being able to tow.

 

[daveo4EV]

Cayenne for this trip had insufficient cargo capacity vs the Y - it would however have been vastly more comfortable trip in the cayenne if not for the cargo requirements

 

[PorscheGuyFromAZ]

Answering with my 2c. Because (pick any or all of the following):
- road tripping is subjective - for some, time spent traveling is a cost, whereas for others it's part of the experience (maybe even the best). Hence time is not necessarily to be optimized away. And as I've often said, stopping more often makes for a more restful (long distance) trip, and that is something to optimize for. I've heard this advice all my life, but never followed it - and it only 'clicked' when I was forced to take those more frequent stops.
- 'comfortable', too, is subjective - how would you know if the Cayenne is better if you've never driven the Taycan on long trips? I find the driving position to be vastly superior in the latter compared to the Macan (my point of reference), which I would assume is similar to that of the Cayenne. On the rare occasion I have to get back in the Macan (to move it out of the way ?), I just find it odd and can't imagine ever taking it on a long trip again. (FWIW, it was my daily for ~4.5 years and ~40k miles.)
- I don't want to "go there", but there's something to be said for not burning gas when an alternative exists.

YMMV, as comparing a sedan with an SUV will always lose on practicality; I find my CT to be at least as practical as the Macan: it scores a bit better on cargo area length, and loses a bit for not being able to tow.

Thank you WasserGKuehit for your well articulated 3 reasons why. Responding to them out of order:

#2. You are correct that my Taycan would be EVEN MORE comfortable on a long road trip than my quite comfortable Cayenne. The seat in your Macan is virtually identical to the seat in my Cayenne and I agree that sitting in the Taycan is, once you get into the vehicle, noticeably more comfortable than a Macan or Cayenne. Also, the air suspension of the Taycan is superior to my 2012 Cayenne's air suspension in terms of delivering a smooth ride. So yes, I concede that driving the Taycan would be an even better driving experience while driving but is that worth the additional extra hours in the car? That leads to my next point:

#1. I acknowledge your point that stopping more frequently can potentially make a long road trip less stressful / more relaxing versus driving much longer distances between stops. But, for me, I balance that against what I could be doing with my time once I reach my destination. While others may feel differently, I'd rather have more time available to me at my destination and spend less time on the road. And, the greater the distance travelled, the more I am convinced an ICE vehicle is the way to go. As an illustrative example, next year I plan to travel to Boulder Colorado. I'll probably fly and rent a car but, if I were to drive here is what I'd be looking at for the 947 miles from my home to Boulder Colorado: If I drive my Taycan the trip would take 16 hours 49 minutes and I'd have to plan on making 7 stops to recharge along the way. In my Cayenne the driving time (including up to 3 refueling stops) would take 13 hours 14 minutes. For me it’s a no-brainer that I‘d rather get to Boulder 3 1/2 hours earlier so I will be driving my Cayenne if I do decide to drive to Boulder.

#3. I respect your point about being environmentally conscious by avoiding the burning of gasoline whenever possible. For me, I greatly reduced my carbon footprint by buying my Taycan. Before I owned the Taycan and made it my daily driver, I would put 13,000 miles a year on the Cayenne. Now, my Cayenne is driven less than 3,000 miles a year so I’ve reduced my CO2 emissions by about 70%. So I would feel guilt-free if I were to drive my ICE vehicle on a long road trip. Again, I can respect that some folks may feel differently.

i suppose I have now given everyone way more than my 2 cents worth on this.

Happy EVing to everyone!

 

[daveo4EV]

Thank you WasserGKuehit for your well articulated 3 reasons why. Responding to them out of order:

#2. You are correct that my Taycan would be EVEN MORE comfortable on a long road trip than my quite comfortable Cayenne. The seat in your Macan is virtually identical to the seat in my Cayenne and I agree that sitting in the Taycan is, once you get into the vehicle, noticeably more comfortable than a Macan or Cayenne. Also, the air suspension of the Taycan is superior to my 2012 Cayenne's air suspension in terms of delivering a smooth ride. So yes, I concede that driving the Taycan would be an even better driving experience while driving but is that worth the additional extra hours in the car? That leads to my next point:

#1. I acknowledge your point that stopping more frequently can potentially make a long road trip less stressful / more relaxing versus driving much longer distances between stops. But, for me, I balance that against what I could be doing with my time once I reach my destination. While others may feel differently, I'd rather have more time available to me at my destination and spend less time on the road. And, the greater the distance travelled, the more I am convinced an ICE vehicle is the way to go. As an illustrative example, next year I plan to travel to Boulder Colorado. I'll probably fly and rent a car but, if I were to drive here is what I'd be looking at for the 947 miles from my home to Boulder Colorado: If I drive my Taycan the trip would take 16 hours 49 minutes and I'd have to plan on making 7 stops to recharge along the way. In my Cayenne the driving time (including up to 3 refueling stops) would take 13 hours 14 minutes. For me it’s a no-brainer that I‘d rather get to Boulder 3 1/2 hours earlier so I will be driving my Cayenne if I do decide to drive to Boulder.

#3. I respect your point about being environmentally conscious by avoiding the burning of gasoline whenever possible. For me, I greatly reduced my carbon footprint by buying my Taycan. Before I owned the Taycan and made it my daily driver, I would put 13,000 miles a year on the Cayenne. Now, my Cayenne is driven less than 3,000 miles a year so I’ve reduced my CO2 emissions by about 70%. So I would feel guilt-free if I were to drive my ICE vehicle on a long road trip. Again, I can respect that some folks may feel differently.

i suppose I have now given everyone way more than my 2 cents worth on this.

Happy EVing to everyone!

I for one appreciate your $0.02 and understand your perspective - I like this forum cause we nice to each other!!

please keep sharing.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

#1. I acknowledge your point that stopping more frequently can potentially make a long road trip less stressful / more relaxing versus driving much longer distances between stops. But, for me, I balance that against what I could be doing with my time once I reach my destination. While others may feel differently, I'd rather have more time available to me at my destination and spend less time on the road. And, the greater the distance travelled, the more I am convinced an ICE vehicle is the way to go. As an illustrative example, next year I plan to travel to Boulder Colorado. I'll probably fly and rent a car but, if I were to drive here is what I'd be looking at for the 947 miles from my home to Boulder Colorado: If I drive my Taycan the trip would take 16 hours 49 minutes and I'd have to plan on making 7 stops to recharge along the way. In my Cayenne the driving time (including up to 3 refueling stops) would take 13 hours 14 minutes. For me it’s a no-brainer that I‘d rather get to Boulder 3 1/2 hours earlier so I will be driving my Cayenne if I do decide to drive to Boulder.

I guess this is precisely the point I'm trying to make, and which, again, didn't 'click' with me until I tried it myself: you may get there faster, but probably more tired, stressed, with a headache. (Besides, not sure what else one would do after a 1k mile trip in a day, other than have a beer and go to bed, even with an additional 2-3 hours. Would you go hiking/clubbing/ice skating..? ? )

This, of course, assumes every charging session goes to plan - which is not guaranteed, and an entirely different conversation; taking the rosy view for the comparison.

For context, I've done multiple (more than a dozen) cross-continent trips - both in the US and Europe - basically "2-3,000 km as soon as possible" (not Cannonball-style, but the civilian version thereof). Never ever have I gotten there/at my destination refreshed - except for the one time I drove the Taycan from Denver to Seattle. That was about the only long-distance trip that I felt ended too soon, and it was because of the forced, longer/more frequent stops. (The new car smell might have added a bit, too.)

And I have to say, your post is oddly specific on calculations - dunno why it reminded me a bit of chatgpt.. Good luck, in whichever manner you decide to take this trip.

 

[Jonathan S.]

This discussion of ICE merits for major roadtripping reminds me of my drive back from Richmond VA on Thursday.
So glad that I took my A6ar instead of my (wife's) i4 M50 (given EA concerns) -- traffic from north of DC into southern CT was far worse than I'd even experienced, so I drove straight to our daughter's summer camp arts festival in Deerfield MA without a single stop ... well, okay, I was often stopped on I-95, but I never got out of the car:

(Fortunately I had kept my breakfast limited and without anything to drink so as to be strategically dehydrated just in case I wanted to drive straight there.)

 

[PorscheGuyFromAZ]

I guess this is precisely the point I'm trying to make, and which, again, didn't 'click' with me until I tried it myself: you may get there faster, but probably more tired, stressed, with a headache. (Besides, not sure what else one would do after a 1k mile trip in a day, other than have a beer and go to bed, even with an additional 2-3 hours. Would you go hiking/clubbing/ice skating..? ? )

This, of course, assumes every charging session goes to plan - which is not guaranteed, and an entirely different conversation; taking the rosy view for the comparison.

For context, I've done multiple (more than a dozen) cross-continent trips - both in the US and Europe - basically "2-3,000 km as soon as possible" (not Cannonball-style, but the civilian version thereof). Never ever have I gotten there/at my destination refreshed - except for the one time I drove the Taycan from Denver to Seattle. That was about the only long-distance trip that I felt ended too soon, and it was because of the forced, longer/more frequent stops. (The new car smell might have added a bit, too.)

And I have to say, your post is oddly specific on calculations - dunno why it reminded me a bit of chatgpt.. Good luck, in whichever manner you decide to take this trip.

I’m not the kind of person who would attempt to drive nearly 1,000 miles in a single day so my trip from Scottsdale to Boulder, CO would involve an overnight stop. So day 1 would be about 8 hours of driving in my ICE SUV. With "only" 5 1/2 hours of driving left on day 2, I'd likely arrive before 2:00 pm and I'd have plenty of day left to start enjoying myself at my destination. If I drove using the Taycan instead, I'd arrive after 5:30 pm (only if all the charging stops went well) and I'd probably be too tired and would not do anything to enjoy myself on day 2. So again, for me, driving ICE is the "all things considered" better option. I know you and others may feel differently but on a really long trip I can't get past how much extra time is taken for recharging.

Now if we were talking about a trip of 500 miles then I might think about taking my Taycan ......

My last point is regarding your feelings about my posting seeming like it was from ChatGPT, I can assure you I am indeed a human being! Those mileage figures and driving times came straight out of my Apple Maps app. I guess I would have sounded "more human" if I had rounded the numbers off and stated "about 950 miles of driving" and "nearly 17 hours of EV driving including all my recharging stops" etc.

 

[whitex]

As an owner of an amazing 2020 Taycan Turbo and a 2012 Cayenne S (ICE) SUV, I have a completely different point of view.

If you attach any value (monetary or experiential) to your time, why in the world would you take an EV (Model Y or Taycan) on such a long trip when you could take that trip in your 2021 Cayenne e-Hybrid?

My Taycan has never seen a DC fast charger. Why? Because my ICE Cayenne is the far better vehicle for a long road trip! It has plenty of cargo space, is luxurious and supremely comfortable and it’s got 425+ miles of proven cruising range. So on any long road trips I ride in comfort, make far fewer (and much shorter) stops to recharge/refuel and I arrive at my destination several HOURS sooner in my Cayenne than I would if I’d driven an EV.

Yes the Tesla charging network is superior (the Porsche of charging networks if you will) but IMHO for most EV buyers, the charging network should be a relatively minor part of the “which EV to buy” decision - - especially if the buyer has an alternative non-EV available for long road trips.

Just my 2 cents worth for everyone’s consideration on this thread.

If time is of the essence, why not just fly? If you’re driving, it’s either not far enough to fly (airport delays) or not time critical down to a few hours. I personally do road trips for fun, and I enjoy stopping to stretch my legs, refill coffee, grab a snack, every 2-3 hours. In the Taycan is great for that. On the fastest day of my trip home from the dealer in the Taycan, I managed to do 689 miles in 11hrs 13m - averaging 63mph. I remember doing road trips with my 911 long ago and my records for longer trips were barely over 70mph. How fast are you averaging in your Cayenne for 600+ mile trip?

PS> I did the cross country fly-then-drive for fun, because I wanted to get to know my car, enjoy the trip. I could have shipped the car for same money or less, considering I needed to buy winter tires for the trip as it was mid February. Some more details from the trip here.

 

[whitex]

about my posting seeming like it was from ChatGPT, I can assure you I am indeed a human being!

? Hmm.... that sounds just like something a rogue chat bot would say! ?

 

[PorscheGuyFromAZ]

If time is of the essence, why not just fly? If you’re driving, it’s either not far enough to fly (airport delays) or not time critical down to a few hours. I personally do road trips for fun, and I enjoy stopping to stretch my legs, refill coffee, grab a snack, every 2-3 hours. In the Taycan is great for that. On the fastest day of my trip home from the dealer in the Taycan, I managed to do 689 miles in 11hrs 13m - averaging 63mph. I remember doing road trips with my 911 long ago and my records for longer trips were barely over 70mph. How fast are you averaging in your Cayenne for 600+ mile trip?

PS> I did the cross country fly-then-drive for fun, because I wanted to get to know my car, enjoy the trip. I could have shipped the car for same money or less, considering I needed to buy winter tires for the trip as it was mid February. Some more details from the trip here.

Hello White.

Yes, I will most likely fly. When I've taken my Cayenne on a long road trip I try to keep the cruise control speed set at 88mph (yes, I'm a big fan of the Back To The Future movies). The last road trip I took was to Vail Colorado a trip of 720 miles. Including my stops for fuel and food, I spent 11 hours on the road. So I averaged 65 mph even though I tried to cruise at 88 mph whenever possible and safe. I guess my stops for food were too leisurely.

 

[or1]

I appreciate your stories about long-distance driving and differing perspectives/considerations. Maybe a European perspective is useful too? We have long distances in Norway (although not quite on the US scale). I have driven to Trondheim quite a few times, about 900 km (560 miles) the shortest way. My delta for time used between ICE and EV is around half an hour. Some stops are needed anyway, and charging merely makes one or two of them a bit longer than they would have been with ICE. With a little bit of planning, I can recommend EV use for this stretch to anyone. But flying would be faster...

It helps that we have rather good charging infrastructure, and Ionity works well and is not costly with the Porsche card. But still, I say tongue-in-cheek that the main disadvantage with EVs here is that the places I stop does not vary as much as I would have done with an ICE car. Eating happens at more or less the same places every time.