350kW ultra-fast chargers at Porsche Centres ahead of Taycan’s arrival

December 16, 2020December 27, 2020 Iain Curry 2652 Views 350kw charger, ultra fast charging

Porsche Australia is finalising installation of charging infrastructure at its Porsche Centres, including fitting 350kW ultra-rapid DC chargers for Taycans.

With Porsche’s first all-electric sportscar in showrooms in a matter of weeks, there was urgent need for chargers on site for its current and future EV and PHEV models.

EVCentral understands only three of the country’s 13 Porsche Centres will have 350kW ultra-rapid chargers – it’s unknown which ones but those who fancy a punt may speculate one each in Sydney, Melbourne and either Brisbane or the Gold Coast making most sense.

For now, a selection of other Porsche Centres will get 175kW fast chargers, while all Centres will feature AC chargers.

80% in just over 20 mins

The Taycan is capable of charging at a maximum rate of 270kW DC, and despite the mighty cost of the 350kW charging infrastructure, the ability for the Taycan to go from 5-80% in 22.5 minutes (in optimal conditions) using an ultra-rapid charger is the sort of technology one (or Porsche owners, at least) would expect.

Porsche Taycan charging on the Chargefox network

The 390kW/650Nm Taycan 4S with Performance Battery Plus has a range of 414km; The 500kW/850Nm Taycan Turbo has 420km range and flagship Turbo S has 560kW/1050Nm and 405km range. All have the same maximum charging power of 270kW for that rapid 22.5-minutes 80% refill.

Porsche Australia has worked with JET Charge for the installs, the same company having performed home checks and fitted wallboxes for owners in preparation for their Taycans or PHEVS such as a Cayenne or Panamera E-Hybrid.

“Some of the chargers we have installed in Porsche Centres in recent months are among the fastest charging stations available globally,” said JET Charge CEO Tim Washington.

Revamped Porsche Centres

Long-standing Porsche customers may also notice a few electric-specific changes at their local dealership. There’ll be new parking areas for access to the newly-installed chargers; dedicated service areas for Taycan (and future EVs), while several Porsche Centres have fitted solar and/or battery storage support.

Porsche Centre customer charging. All in Australia will have AC charging, others 175kW fast charging or 350kW ultra-fast charging.

Taycan owners can not only charge at Porsche Service Centres but also receive a complimentary three-year subscription to the Chargefox Ultra-Rapid DC charging network (up to 350kW) and complimentary charging at selected Chargefox-managed Fast DC charging sites, which are mostly 50kW.

According to Chargefox‘s app – Australia’s largest EV charging network – there are only 17 350kW ultra-fast chargers across Australia at present (not including the announced Porsche Centre ones), with a further four under construction.

Iain Curry

A motoring writer and photographer for two decades, Iain started in print magazines in London as editor of Performance BMW and features writer for BMW Car, GT Porsche and 4Drive magazines. His love of motor sport and high performance petrol cars was rudely interrupted in 2011 when he was one of the first journalists to drive BMW's 1 Series ActiveE EV, and has been testing hybrids, PHEVs and EVs for Australian newspapers ever since. Based near Noosa in Queensland, his weekly newspaper articles cover new vehicle reviews and consumer advice, while his photography is regularly seen on the pages of glossy magazines.