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Cayenne S E-Hybrid : Newbie Charger / Charging Help
Hi,
This week saw the arrival of our 2017MY Cayenne S E-Hybrid plug-in, and so far both myself and my better half are very much impressed (replaced a Range Rover Sport we purchased new, but had no end of bad luck with it and just 3 years in we took the hit and parted company as we were just tired of it being homesick for the dealer!!).
This is our first EV / PHEV and the car came with the touch screen Porsche Mobile Charger Connect charger and the optional 7.2kW onboard charger. It also has 3 mains cables for the Mobile Charger Connect (a 13A wall plug, a red round plug and a blue round plug).
I've been trying to confirm if the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect charger is IP rated / weatherproof or if it is limited to indoor / garage charging - I cannot find anything conclusive in any of the Porsche info and have equally failed to find a definitive answer on the Internet for this specific charger. I have found the optional Wall Dock, and whilst I thought this was a weatherproof enclosure at first, on closer inspection it looks to still expose the front of the charger to the elements. Rather than take a risk I thought there might be some kind folks out there that have had one of these for a while and know if it is safe to use outdoors (assuming it is plugged into a water-proof 13A outdoor socket of course)??
I also noticed that some public charge points have cables attached, but some only have sockets. From reading various websites this evening I think these sockets are 'type 2' / 'mennekes' connectors. Do I need to buy a new cable to allow me to charge from these points by plugging it directly between the car and the socket on the public charge point, or do I use the 'Porsche Mobile Charger Connect' with the red or blue round connectors??
Any help would be very much appreciated, and my apologies if these are really daft questions - I just don't want to get it wrong and turn the Cayenne into another vehicle that wants to spend more time at the dealer than our driveway!!
I have a 2016 ehybrid and have used the charger with a 220v (US) plug located on a covered porch for the past three years with no issue. Occasionally, the drain hole in the charger port gets clogged and I use a stick pin to clean it out . . . .I have been told the charger assembly is waterproof. If you are concerned, an enclosure is available (in the US) and is what our dealership has mounted on a pole in their parking lot.
I thought I would post back as I managed to conclusively answer my own question, despite main dealers not being able to help.
On page 18 of the 'Porsche Mobile Connect Manual' (I could only find the US version online, but feel it is reasonable to assume all territories will be the same in terms of these specifications) it states;
Protection class I
Degree of protection Enclosure 3R (IP55)
Looking these rating up the official classifications are as follows;
NEMA 1: For indoor use. Protects users against contact with hazardous components and protects the components from the ingress of solid objects, such as fingers and falling dirt.
NEMA 2: For indoor use. Same as NEMA 1 but adds protection against the ingress of dipping and light splashing water.
NEMA 3: For indoor or outdoor use. Same as NEMA 2 but adds stronger protection against the ingress of water and dust. It protects against windblown dust, rain, sleet, and snow and will be undamaged by ice forming on the enclosure.
NEMA 3R: Same as NEMA 3 but without the protection against windblown dust. The standard doesn’t say this, but typically the difference is that there is no gasketing on NEMA 3R enclosures.
NEMA 3S: Same as NEMA 3 but adds the provision that external mechanism remain operable when ice laden.
The IP rating relates to the 'International Protection Rating' or 'Ingress Protection Rating', as follows;
IP55 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
So the official rating looks to confirm that the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect is rated for general outside use, is safe in rain, but not for jet-washing. The NEMA rating would also suggest that it is not certified for ice or snow.
There you have it. The link to the manual is below, so you can satisfy yourselves as to these ratings as I am naturally only providing the above info to assist and make no claims of my own as I am merely restating the manufacturers' info.
