The other day, I took our Taycan to Awaji Island. Last year, I decided that I’d make more time for collecting temple and shrine stamps, so I’m planning to visit all kinds of shrines with my Taycan. But on this trip, I ran into that familiar problem again:

A CHAdeMO rapid-charging error.

We Only Use Public Rapid Chargers Once in a While

We have a home charger, so we rarely need to use rapid chargers while we’re out. Most of our driving is for work around Osaka, and even then, we usually cover only about 100 km. There’s no need to stop and charge along the way; charging overnight at home is more than enough.

I usually charge to 80%. Even if the battery drops to around 50%, it’s back close to 80% by the next morning. That gives us a range of roughly 300 km, which is plenty for everyday driving.

I only use rapid charging when I’m driving a relatively long distance. On this trip, we were heading to Awaji Island, where the kids could play at a park and we could visit a few shrines. With that kind of itinerary, we’d be covering around 150–200 km.

We expected to get home with about 15% charge left. “We’ll probably be fine, but maybe we should top up at a highway service area on the way back, just to be safe.”

The Hassle and Frustration of Paying as a Guest

We use rapid chargers maybe once a month, if that. So, honestly, paying around ¥4,000 a month for an e-Mobility Power (eMP) membership feels like a waste. Membership makes charging cheaper, but we use it so infrequently that pay-as-you-go guest charging seems like the better option.

Image source: e-Mobility Power guest charging rates

But paying as a guest is a real hassle. The charging cable is heavy and looks like an elephant’s trunk, so just plugging it in is a workout. Then you have to stand at the terminal with your phone and wallet, scan a QR code, and enter your credit card details every single time. It usually takes two or three minutes just to get charging started.

And all that effort would be fine if it worked reliably. The problem is, errors happen far too often.

I’d say I get an error about one time in three. I start the process thinking, “It probably won’t work this time either,” and when it does connect on the first try, I’m genuinely surprised: “Wow, it worked! We got lucky!”

The same thing happened on the drive back from Awaji Island. We stopped at Awaji Island Highway Oasis, and—as expected—the charger threw an error. Normally, it works if I try again once or twice, but this time nothing worked, no matter how many times I tried. Even when it briefly seemed to connect, the error returned 15 seconds later.

And even though it only connected for a moment, I was still charged ¥385. (Sigh.)

There were two chargers, so I tried the other one, too. Same result. I was wondering, “Is something wrong with the Taycan, or is it CHAdeMO?” when a Toyota pulled in and started charging. But that car ran into the same error I had.

So perhaps it was a problem with the CHAdeMO charger itself. In the end, I gave up on charging, set the navigation system to prioritize distance, and drove home on the Hanshin Expressway—which was packed with evening traffic on a holiday.

The Huge Difference Between CHAdeMO and Tesla Superchargers

I couldn’t resist posting about the experience on X, and the post got a lot of impressions. (Laughs.) I guess plenty of people are just as frustrated with the charging experience.

A few days later, I had a chance to travel in a Tesla. I stopped at a Supercharger near my workplace, thinking I could get some work done while I waited—and was amazed by how easy the whole process was.

Just plug in the slim charging cable with a quick click. That’s it. (I’d already added my credit card to the app, so I didn’t even need to use my phone.)

It was almost ridiculously easy. I’d thought I could get some work done while the car charged, but the battery was back up to 80% in no time, and I was soon on my way.

I couldn’t help thinking, “Why can’t charging be this simple everywhere?” It was another reminder of just how good Tesla’s Supercharger network is.

The Taycan is a truly wonderful car. That’s why I hope Japan’s rapid-charging infrastructure will become a lot more seamless.

Just to be safe, I’m planning to have Porsche Center check the car’s rapid-charging system early in the new year. (Home charging works without a problem.) I hope we’ll soon have the infrastructure needed to enjoy long-distance drives in the Taycan with complete peace of mind.