Porsche 918 Spyder EV Charging Cable

A 887 horsepower car with a very ordinary charger

There is a pleasing gap between what this car does on a road and what it does on a driveway. Porsche states a "maximum charge output of 3.6 kW", delivered through a single 16 amp circuit, on a 6.8 kWh battery. That is roughly two hours to fill it and about eighteen miles of electric running when you have.

Charging hardware of this vintage is small, and the number that matters is the car's, not the supply's. Fitting a 32 amp wall box changes nothing here because the car will not draw 32 amps. Plan around the car's ceiling rather than the charge point's. Buying a 32 amp cable for this car is not wasted money, because the cable is rated for whatever you plug it into next and because thicker conductors run cooler, but it will not make the 918 charge faster.

There is no CCS socket on it

There is no rapid charging on this one, and no socket that could offer it. Every kilowatt hour it ever receives comes down the Type 2 cable, so the lead is a functional part of the car rather than something kept in the boot for emergencies.

Porsche did offer a DC option of its own at the time, a Speed Charging Station that filled the pack in 25 minutes from an industrial supply. That was a bespoke home installation for owners, not a public network capability, and it is not something you will find at a motorway services.

How long a full charge takes

The arithmetic is simple: kWh over kW, 13 per cent on top for losses, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. The miles column uses 3.5 miles per kWh, which holds up in winter as well as summer. Porsche publishes gross capacity only; no usable figure was ever released, so this works from 6.8 kWh.

The 918 predates WLTP entirely, so the roughly eighteen mile electric range figure comes from the NEDC era and should be read as optimistic. In town on a light throttle it is a real number; anywhere else the 4.6 litre V8 takes over long before the battery empties.

Where the socket is, with one honest caveat

Porsche describes the charge port as being in the B pillar on the front passenger side, which on a left hand drive car puts it on the right. Its own rescue data sheet uses absolute terms and says the rear right of the vehicle. Whether the port mirrors on a right hand drive car we have not been able to confirm with a photograph, so treat the offside as likely rather than certain and check your own car before choosing a length.

The 918 is 4.64 metres and low, and access is behind the door rather than at either end. Five metres reaches comfortably where the charge point is beside the car; ten if it is not. Work it out from where the car genuinely sits, not where it could sit, and leave slack.

How these cables are built

Made to IEC 62196-2, CE marked, and rated IP55 from -30C to +50C so it lives outdoors all year.

Three pin leads are made to IEC 62752, CE marked and IP67 sealed, with a -30C to +60C specification. Two year manufacturer's warranty, free next working day UK delivery and 30 days to send it back.

Also from Porsche: Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid EV Charging Cable. The full range of Porsche charging cables is on one page.

Porsche 918 Spyder charging cable questions

How fast does a 918 Spyder charge?

About 3.6 kW, from a single 16 amp circuit. A full charge of the 6.8 kWh battery takes roughly two hours.

Can it rapid charge?

No. There is no CCS socket. Porsche sold a bespoke DC Speed Charging Station for owners, but that was a private installation, not public network access.

Is a 32A cable worth it?

It will not charge the car faster, but it is more flexible for any future car and runs cooler under load.

Where is the charge port?

At the B pillar behind the door. Porsche describes it as the front passenger side, which on a left hand drive car is the right. We have not confirmed whether right hand drive cars mirror it.