Taycan: How to choose the right home charging station?
There are three levels of EV charging for Porsche: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. The higher the level of charging, the faster the charge process as more power is delivered to the vehicle. Only the first two levels can be used to charge your Porsche Taycan at home.
ChargePoint NEMA 14-50 plug/hardwired Home Charging Station Level 2 (240 Volt, 23ft Cable, 16/24/32/40 Amp for NEMA 14-50 plug or 48/50 Amp for hardwired mode), Wi-Fi Enabled EVSE, UL Listed, ENERGY STAR, Indoor / Outdoor
Aug 3, 2023 10:15 AM
JuiceBox 40 Hardwired Smart EV Home Charging Station (40 Amp, 240 Volt, 25ft Cable), Wi-Fi, Indoor/Outdoor charger, Energy Star UL Certified
Aug 3, 2023 10:15 AM
Wallbox Pulsar Plus Level 2 EV Charging station 11.52 kW (240 Volt, 25ft/7m Cable, 48 Amp) Hardwired, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa and Google Home
Aug 3, 2023 10:15 AM
Level 1 or “charging by plugging into an ordinary wall outlet” typically requires a cord with a standard (often referred to as “Type 1” in Europe) J1772 connector (or simply “J”), which is also used for electric cooktops. Back in 2010, most new EVs sold in North America were shipped with this onboard; however now many automakers include only a stubby pigtail adapter that can be hard-wired into your home electrical system (thereby avoiding having to pay for installation).
Best Level 2 portable chargers for Porsche Taycan
Aug 3, 2023 10:15 AM
Accell AxFAST Level 1 and 2 Portable EV Charger 3.8 kW (120/240Volt, 24ft/7m Cable, 16 Amp) NEMA 10-30 Plug
Aug 3, 2023 10:15 AM
Level 2 charging stations require 240 volts and, unless you have a dedicated circuit already installed in your garage, will require the services of an electrician to install a new outlet and/or breaker. These stations can deliver from 3.3 to 20 kW of power, which can charge the Porsche Taycan up to 80% in 3-4 hours.
Now that you know the basics, what do you need to consider when choosing a charging station for your home?
#1 Power. One of the most important factors to consider is the power requirements of your electric vehicle. Not all chargers are created equal and some can deliver more power than others. If you have a newer, high-power EV, it’s important to make sure you have a charger that can match its needs. Many Level 2 chargers offer multiple power levels, so be sure to choose one that can provide enough juice for your Porsche.
#2 Speed. How important is speed to you? Some people don’t mind waiting a few hours to recharge their vehicles, but others want a faster charge. If you have multiple cars in your household it’s good to keep this in mind too.
#3 Placement. Where are you going to mount the charger? You should place it where it is easily accessible and convenient for you to use. Many people choose garage locations because they are close to the Porsche Taycan, but if you don’t have an attached garage consider installing one near your parking area or driveway.
Here’s How We’re Charging EVs at the Level 2 Maximum of 19.2 kW at Our Office
This Porsche Wall Connector can charge more than three times faster than our ChargePoint units.
EV charging rates are often referred to by their simple Level 1 (120V), Level 2 (240V), and Level 3 (400V and up DC) classifications, but within those categories can be a wide span of charging rates. Level 2, for example, can range from a 6.0-kW ChargePoint hookup you might encounter in a parking garage to the maximum rate of 19.2 kW. If you own an EV, you want to be charging at home as much as possible; it’s more convenient and far cheaper that way. And we think the sweet spot is the ability to recharge your vehicle’s battery roughly overnight: call it in 10 to 12 hours or so.
For many EVs with moderate-size battery packs, this is possible with mainstream home-charging options, such as the ones featured in this roundup. But for vehicles with larger packs, such as the 131.0-kWh Ford F-150 Lightning, the 128.9-kWh Rivian R1S or R1T, or the 112.0-kWh Lucid Air, you’ll need substantially more juice for anything close to an overnight charge. For example, the charge time for a Lightning using a 6.0-kW outlet is roughly 24 hours, and a Hummer EV with its gigantic 212.7-kWh pack would take almost 40 hours.
How Charge Rates and Times Are Calculated
A quick refresher: The rate is simply the power output, or voltage times current, e.g., 240 volts and 40 amps equal an output of 9600 watts, or 9.6 kilowatts. And an electrical circuit can run continuously at 80 percent of its rated capability, so a 50-amp, 240-volt circuit is required to be able to charge at 40 amps or 9.6 kW. To estimate an EV’s charge time, take the battery capacity, add 10 percent for losses, and divide by the charge rate.
All About EV Charging
The long charge times with some of these latest big-battery EVs on the 6.0-kW ChargePoint units we have at our office caused us to search out a replacement for the two Tesla Wall Connectors we also have at our office, both of which were wired to support 19.2-kW charging on the Model S, an option Tesla has long since discontinued. While we’ve used a Tesla-to-J1772 adapter to charge non-Tesla EVs, that connector is only rated for charging at half the 19.2-kW maximum.
We landed on the Porsche Wall Connector, which sells for 1586. Expensive, yes, but there aren’t that many options for the fastest Level 2 charging. Ford’s Charge Station Pro goes for 1310, Lucid’s Connected Home Charging Station for 1200—both which support bidirectional charging. Clipper Creek is the rare third-party choice, and it goes for 2195. And the Porsche unit is the only one with a display on it, the same 5.0-inch touchscreen interface found on Porsche’s optional portable charging equipment, which is a 1120 option when purchasing a Taycan.
We were hoping we’d be able to view our charging remotely through the My Porsche app, but it turns out you have to be charging a Porsche that’s in your account to do so. We instead view the energy use on the screen to track EVs’ efficiency and can look back through previous charging activity if necessary. There’s also the possibility of connecting to the charging unit’s own hotspot to view activity, although we haven’t yet been successful in making that work.
Try This at Home?
To be able to charge at the maximum 19.2-kW rate, three things must align: your house must have a dedicated 100-amp circuit for EV charging, your charging equipment has to have the capability, and the vehicle must be able to accept it. For example, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, our 2022 EV of the Year, has a 10.9-kW onboard charger. So, it can’t charge at a higher rate than that on a Level 2 outlet no matter what charging equipment is installed. To be able to charge a Porsche Taycan at the maximum rate, you have to select the 1680 option for the 19.2-kW onboard charger when ordering, or there’s the possibility to retrofit it later.
But, when all of these things align, the charge times are impressive: a Taycan with the large pack can be charged from empty to full in under five hours, a Lucid Air in about 6.5 hours, and a F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1S or R1T in about 7.5 hours.
Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver’s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.
Porsche Electric Vehicles
Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, Porsche is an automobile manufacturing company that specializes in high-performance vehicles.
When it began in 1931, the company did not build any cars under its own name but instead offered motor vehicle development work and consultation. The German government gave Porsche one of it’s first assignments: to design a car for the people, or a “Volkswagen” (translated to “the people’s car”). This assignment resulted in one of the most successful car designs of all time — the Volkswagen Beetle. Porsche later used many components from the Beetle to create the Porsche 64.
Fast forward to today and Porsche is known as one of “the most prestigious automobile brand[s]” with a variety of vehicles from sports cars to SUVs. Porsche’s current line of vehicles include the 911 (992), 718 Boxster/Cayman, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, and the all electric Taycan.
Porsche and the Environment
Porsche has set its sights on avoiding and reducing CO2 emissions as much as possible by making sustainability a crucial goal in their Corporate Strategy 2025. Along the entire value chain, where emissions are unavoidable, Porsche is voluntarily compensating by offsetting emissions to special projects. In 2020, the same year Porsche invested 24 million in ‘e-fuels’ in order to supplement the electrification of sports cars, they introduced the Porsche Taycan, their first all electric vehicle.
In 2015, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porche debuted the concept version of their electric vehicle, named the Porsche Mission E. At the same show in 2019, Porsche introduced the production-ready model: The Porsche Taycan.
Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan is Porsche’s first series production electric car. There are several variants with different performance levels. In 2020, more than 20,000 Taycans were delivered making up a total of 7.4% of Porsche’s volume. Check out this Reddit post of one of the first Taycans on the road in Stuttgart!
The name of the vehicle is Turkish (tay can) for “lively young horse” and references the steed on the company’s crest. Currently there are two different types of Taycans, a 4-door sedan and a 4-door station wagon, and plans on introducing other variants including a two-door coupe and convertible.
As of January 2022, there are 10 different Taycan models available according to Porsche’s website. They are separated into the categories below.
Taycan Sedan
The Taycan is said to be “the pure expression of a Porsche electric sports car”. It has the recognizable design of a Porsche with the perfect mix of performance and usability.
Sport Turismo
With a Taycan 4 Cross Turismo you get a larger rear compartment and bigger interior. This body shape allows for more off-road adventures.
Cross Turismo
The Taycan GTS Sport Turismo has the timeless design with more space. This “no compromises” package combines elegance with practicality.
Taycan Charging
Porsche boasts top speeds — even when standing still. In terms of charging and range, all electric Porsche models show their Porsche genes. Since it is a sports car, the company believe that it should be “ready to set off at all times” and they try to facilitate a simple charging system that can be integrated in to all lifestyles.
The estimated EPA range for the 2022 Taycan models are as follows:
- Taycan – 200 miles
- Taycan with Performance Battery Plus – 225 miles
- Taycan 4S – 199 miles
- Taycan 4S with Performance Battery Plus – 227 miles
- Taycan Turbo with Performance Battery Plus – 212 miles
- Taycan Turbo S with Performance Battery Plus – 201 miles
Porsche Mobile Charger Plus
Porsche Mobile Charger Connect
Porsche EV Charger Installation
BLDG Electric is an experienced Porsche EV charging installation contractor in Edmonton. We help residential homeowners and property managers plan, select, install and maintain level 2 and level 3 chargers. Our certified electricians assess your property’s current capacity to support a charging unit. We then provide our top product picks based on all of your needs including the make and model of your vehicle (Porsche electric vehicles including the Taycan, Panamera E-Hybrid and Cayenne E-Hybrid), compatibility, charging speed, installation site and cost / budget.
We install all types of EV Chargers including Porsche branded components (Porsche EV load manager and Charger), FLO, ChargePoint, Teltonika, Siemens, and more. Through our quality assurance standards, we guarantee your EV charger installation work complies with Edmonton building and safety codes, and warranty all of our work!
We deliver custom EV Charging solutions for the leading electrical vehicle brands and the trickiest residential and commercial environments.
Book a call back
Ask BLDG to provide an estimate to install your Porsche EV Charger for residential or commercial buildings.
Case Study. EV Charging Solution
What do you do when you need to install a Porsche Level 2 charger for a home that doesn’t have enough available power? Here’s what BLDG did recently to help the owner of a Porsche Taycan.
Porsche EV CHARGING INSTALLATION GRANTS. RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
BLDG can help you reduce the cost of installing a Porsche EV Charger through government rebates. Edmonton residents can access Federal government rebates if they own or have a lease-eligible zero-emission vehicle (ZEV). The following vehicles are considered to be ZEVs:
There are two types of rebates:
- Electric battery, hydrogen fuel cell and plug-in hybrid cars are eligible for a 5,000 rebate
- Plug-in hybrid cars are eligible for a 2,500 rebate.
Find all the information about Federal EV grants and tax write-off incentives for businesses here.
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