The Porsche Cayenne EV features two charging ports, reminiscent of the chaotic transition to USB-C.

      The latest automotive updates and reviews, no nonsense

      Our complimentary daily newsletter delivers the most important stories straight to you every weekday.

      We are entering a complex phase for electric vehicles (EVs), reminiscent of the iPhone dongle era, and new owners may find it tricky when it's time to recharge. A recent example is that each Porsche Cayenne Electric will feature two charge ports when it launches next year—one on each side of the vehicle. Sounds convenient, right? Not quite.

      In the U.S., one side will have the standard J1772 port, which is compatible with most Level 1 and Level 2 chargers found in garages, workplaces, movie theaters, and more. The other side will be equipped with a NACS port intended solely for DC fast charging at Tesla Supercharger stations, a standard Porsche chose to adopt for the U.S. market. However, despite Tesla offering 240-volt home and destination chargers with the NACS plug, these won’t work with the NACS port on the Cayenne Electric. An adapter will be necessary to connect to the J1772 port instead. As I mentioned, it’s quite confusing.

      Having two charging ports on a single car isn’t a new concept. The Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Trons were introduced with both CCS and J1772 ports. This design was promoted as a user-friendly solution that allowed customers to charge slowly from either side since both ports were the same type, although only one side supported fast charging.

      However, during a briefing with executives in Leipzig, Germany, The Drive learned that the wiring behind the Cayenne Electric’s NACS charge port on the rear driver’s side fender is not designed for AC slow charging. This situation mirrors what several automakers are facing now, as consumers experienced confusion switching from USB-A to USB-C with various electronic devices, leading to a surplus of cables and adapters. The crux of the issue lies in timing.

      Initially, the Cayenne Electric was planned to use CCS as the fast-charging standard, but when the U.S. made a swift shift to NACS, largely due to the poor charging infrastructure outside of Tesla Superchargers, Porsche made the change as well. The development of the electric Cayenne was too advanced to incorporate a NACS port that could handle both AC and DC charging, leaving the J1772 port on the passenger side as the sole option for AC charging.

      Marco Schmerbeck, the director of the Cayenne’s energy systems, indicated that the team is aware of the issue and is already working on modifying the driver-side NACS port to support both AC and DC charging. However, this is not a quick fix that can be addressed before production begins. Therefore, initial Cayenne Electrics will remain in this configuration throughout their lifespan, as there’s no over-the-air update that can resolve this hardware challenge, nor can any special adapter enable AC charging via the NACS port. It simply won't work.

      Schmerbeck mentioned that there is no specific timeline, but the goal is to rectify the situation as soon as possible. Dr. Maximilian Müller, head of Porsche High Voltage, envisions that updated models will come off the assembly line once the hardware design changes are made, and the automaker wouldn’t wait for a new model year, although no firm decision has been finalized yet.

      This rolling change could create confusion in the second-hand market. Further confusion might arise if a customer, unaware of this issue, connects their early Cayenne Electric to a Level 2 Tesla destination charger, only to discover the next day that it hasn’t charged.

      Müller stated that the team has not yet decided on how the update will be executed, but ideally, both sides would have a NACS port, eliminating the J1772 port, with the driver-side port accommodating both AC and DC charging while the passenger-side port would be designated just for AC. We will see how this develops.

      Have a tip about an unusual packaging choice? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected]