Does driving a Taycan make one an official EV and/or Porsche brand ambassador?

[SWORDER]

I make extensive use of the "free" Walmart/EA chargers.

Walmarters are becoming aggressively inquisitive. I'm not talking about fellow EV customers who are charging. Those dudes are pretty cool, typically asking how long it takes to charge, performance specs, etc. I always enjoy exchanging knowledge with them. What I'm referring to here are random shoppers with their grocery carts in the parking lot.

Avoiding eye contact while reading an iPad is of no use. Some will even tap on the window or wave to initiate a friendly chat.

These guys feel compelled to share with me their views on EVs in general, and then reveal to me their groundbreaking discovery that EV charging is actually fueled by coal. They often state their preference for cars that make loud exhaust noises, share their well-founded concern that their neighbor's Tesla may one day burst into flames, which is a problem because they live in a wildfire zone -- not to mention their concerns about possible lithium shortages, their thoughts on climate change, and their curious desire for me to acknowledge that, although the Taycan TTS is indeed fast, their cousin's modified sports car would likely beat mine in a head-to-head drag race.

I'm always polite to these folks. But I just don't really have a lot to say about EV ownership. I've been a 911 Turbo guy since early 2000's but it turned out the Taycan was faster, quieter, had a tax break, less maintenance, with zero cost to charge (at EA) so I switched. I'm glad I did. End of story. I don't really have any deep thoughts to share with these people about the veracity of climate change or their specific environmental concerns. I haven't studied these topics enough to form an opinion. I'm just trying to charge my car and move on, ya know?

Where do these people come from? Have you experienced the same? These spontaneous chit-chats seem to be increasing in both frequency and length. Is it just a Walmart thing? Or maybe a city-specific thing (I'm in San Diego)? What is it about the Taycan that compels strangers to reveal their innermost thoughts on EVs? I don't see other EV owners facing the same battle. You don't see this kind of thing at a Tesla supercharge station, for example.

 

[daveo4EV]

EV interest is on the rise, and you're driving an EV - and a good looking one at that - you are an implied ambassador - yeah I'm getting a lot more questions when I'm at chargers in public - but it's always been the case.

I have used the years to hone a few key messages and try and be polite and informative and debunk common myths - but yeah you're still there before a majority of the public and there is a lot of unknowns to a lot of people.

I do not find this surprising at all - I get a lot more questions when I'm out in my Tesla (past) or Taycan (current) - LOL - very very few approaches or questions when I was out in my Bolt - which is funny because it's the most accessible EV on the market for a majority of people's situation.

 

[masmole]

I usually just say I don't know anything about the car because it's my wife's car and I'm just borrowing it, and that I normally drive a gas-guzzling truck and make lots of bad decisions.

 

[artdept]

As, it turns out that people do not ask me questions or even bother looking at me, but i have been used to that all my life

 

[Vercingetorix]

You should be most concerned about the lithium shortage.

 

[4thPcar]

I make extensive use of the "free" Walmart/EA chargers.

Walmarters are becoming aggressively inquisitive. I'm not talking about fellow EV customers who are charging. Those dudes are pretty cool, typically asking how long it takes to charge, performance specs, etc. I always enjoy exchanging knowledge with them. What I'm referring to here are random shoppers with their grocery carts in the parking lot.

Avoiding eye contact while reading an iPad is of no use. Some will even tap on the window or wave to initiate a friendly chat.

These guys feel compelled to share with me their views on EVs in general, and then reveal to me their groundbreaking discovery that EV charging is actually fueled by coal. They often state their preference for cars that make loud exhaust noises, share their well-founded concern that their neighbor's Tesla may one day burst into flames, which is a problem because they live in a wildfire zone -- not to mention their concerns about possible lithium shortages, their thoughts on climate change, and their curious desire for me to acknowledge that, although the Taycan TTS is indeed fast, their cousin's modified sports car would likely beat mine in a head-to-head drag race.

I'm always polite to these folks. But I just don't really have a lot to say about EV ownership. I've been a 911 Turbo guy since early 2000's but it turned out the Taycan was faster, quieter, had a tax break, less maintenance, with zero cost to charge (at EA) so I switched. I'm glad I did. End of story. I don't really have any deep thoughts to share with these people about the veracity of climate change or their specific environmental concerns. I haven't studied these topics enough to form an opinion. I'm just trying to charge my car and move on, ya know?

Where do these people come from? Have you experienced the same? These spontaneous chit-chats seem to be increasing in both frequency and length. Is it just a Walmart thing? Or maybe a city-specific thing (I'm in San Diego)? What is it about the Taycan that compels strangers to reveal their innermost thoughts on EVs? I don't see other EV owners facing the same battle. You don't see this kind of thing at a Tesla supercharge station, for example.

I also live in San Diego but charge my car only at home. Problem solved.

 

[DerekS]

Where do these people come from? Have you experienced the same? These spontaneous chit-chats seem to be increasing in both frequency and length. Is it just a Walmart thing?

I've been heckled as well at a charger. I'm curious what their goal is, do they really think after talking with you that you'll immediately dump your car for ICE?

The EV haters tend to be small-minded, small-town people fed a narrative by their diet of slanted media. They are afraid watching their world change in many ways and feel powerless to stop it, so they lash out.

I do wish our chargers were not at Wal-Marts. I hate the sketchy clientele in the parking lots.

 

[Archimedes]

Why do you keep charging there if you don’t like the attention?

 

[SWORDER]

I also live in San Diego but charge my car only at home. Problem solved.

LOL, I'm going to start sending these guys to your house.

 

[SWORDER]

Why do you keep charging there if you don’t like the attention?

• It's free. The $ savings > the mild irritation.
• I don't have a charger at home; I live in an apartment high-rise with no dedicated charging available to me. I only use public chargers.
• The escalation at Walmart was slow. Like the frog in the boiling pot, I guess. I didn't really pay it much attention and am just now starting to notice.
• It's not as though I charge at Electrify America @ Walmart exclusively. I charge at other spots like EVGo and ChargePoint too, not to mention EA stations that aren't located @ Walmart. Never noticed the issue in those cases. It appears to be Walmart+Taycan specific phenomenon, which I find curious and interesting. I'm more interested in the why of it than in actual mitigation strategies.

 

[Archimedes]

• It's free. The $ savings > the mild irritation.
• I don't have a charger at home; I live in an apartment high-rise with no dedicated charging available to me. I only use public chargers.
• The escalation at Walmart was slow. Like the frog in the boiling pot, I guess. I didn't really pay it much attention and am just now starting to notice.
• It's not as though I charge at Electrify America @ Walmart exclusively. I charge at other spots like EVGo and ChargePoint too. Never noticed the issue there. It appears to be Walmart+Taycan specific issue, which I find curious.

You lost me at that last part. You find it curious that the clientele at Walmart would tend toward the anti EV, climate denier crowd? Or did you mean to say obvious?

 

[SWORDER]

You lost me at that last part. You find it curious that the clientele at Walmart would tend toward the anti EV, climate denier crowd? Or did you mean to say obvious?

The first one. I honestly don't know much about Walmart other than what I'm now reading on PeopleOfWalmart.com.

I go in there to pee while charging occasionally. Bathrooms seem ok.

Took a lap around the store once to kill time. Nothing about the store or its clientele screamed, "I have something to get off my chest about EVs." If anything, I figured the store's founders were just really pro-EV, given their deal with EA.

 

[JS4S]

I live in small town Ohio....and despite what some may think, the reaction has been more inquisitive in nature. Charging costs, types of charging, availability, and range. That was in reaction to my Tesla a few years ago. We'll see if it changes when my Taycan arrives. I have only seen one Taycan around........and it belongs to Joe Burrow.

 

[jld1]

and then reveal to me their groundbreaking discovery that EV charging is actually fueled by coal.

This part killed me.

I'm picking up my car likely this week so I'm a bit terrified to get approached by people like this. Luckily I will be charging at home...

 

[Edward]

Does your local Porsche dealer have a fast DC charger? I like going to mine for a quick charge and a free snack. (Although an intended 15 minute stop invariably turns into an hour after poking around the latest 911 trade-in and shooting the breeze with my SA!)