Another way to recharge your batteries
Our world is moving faster and faster, but as everyone knows, there is strength in calm. This also applies to our Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo Green Mamba, which glides almost silently over the asphalt while other road users gaze in awe at this elegant electric five-door. Its 625 hp of electric power, and even 761 hp in overboost mode, are just waiting to be unleashed. Regardless of its speed, the steering precision and cornering behavior of Porsche’s first electric sports car are sublime and impressive. In the age of electricity, that’s what pleasure is!
But with such a performance, we don’t always drive in Normal mode, we switch from time to time in Sport Plus mode. And as the autonomy of the vehicle necessarily suffers a little, we head for the nearest fast charging station to then hit the road again carefree. The town of Sarnen in the canton of Obwalden has a DC charging station, in other words a direct current charging station (direct current). As there are currently 500 throughout Switzerland, it is easy to find a free one to power the Taycan’s 93.4 kWh battery within a reasonable time. But lo and behold, most of the sites are not really suited to the style of the elegant Sport Turismo. They can be found on motorway rest areas or, as here, behind a service station.
While we take a short break, a visibly stressed dad goes to get ice cream from the shop for the birthday of one of the two children who accompany him. Meanwhile, a young woman struggles with the cap of her gas tank. From the small cafeteria area located right next to the entrance to the gas station building, you can clearly see everything that is going on, but you are in the smoking area… Apparently, the table we are sitting at is also Walti’s usual table. Before going for a walk to the store, this robust septuagenarian in a tank top and a mule cut wants to tell us spontaneously about half of his life, while next door, the Taycan is « refueling » for the rest of the trip.
This type of encounter has its charm, but is it really the charging experience we’re looking for? Of course, fast charging is practical in everyday life. But for once, why not treat yourself to a recharge at the most beautiful charging station in Switzerland? It must still exist somewhere, this station, where you may have to wait a little longer for the battery to be full, but where recharging is a real pleasure!
The Porsche Charging Service provides access to more than 270,000 public charging stations in 20 European countries.
So where is she? The Porsche Charging Service already provides access to more than 270,000 public charging points in 20 European countries, and the trend is growing. The problem is therefore not to find a suitable charging station. In some destinations, some hotels or shopping centers for example, charging is even free: Taycan customers or owners of a Cayenne or Panamera E hybrid model benefit from Porsche’s in-house charging network, Porsche Destination Charging.
Of course, to charge in the most beautiful station in Switzerland, you have to pay a little more, 2.50 francs per hour, but the view and the charging experience are priceless there. We set off and enter the address into the navigation system. From Sarnen, the route goes over the Brünig Pass. For a brief sprint (to overtake a Dutch motorhome struggling to climb the mountain), we take advantage of the concentrated electric power of the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo. The 0 to 100 km / h is crossed in just 2.8 seconds with the Launch Control automated start, accompanied, if desired, by a hovering sound environment, the Electric Sport Sound, which evokes a spaceship.
The Taycan is also a source of emotions in the last part of the trip, near Thun, in the canton of Bern. The twelve kilometers of uphill bends on the road to Heiligenschwendi are a real delight. And as the charging station awaits us at the end of the journey, priority to driving pleasure rather than economical driving! The view of Lake Thun and the snow-capped peaks of the Bernese Oberland is magnificent, as is the passage through the forest with its tight bends. We eventually arrive at the picturesque Krindenhof, above Sigriswil. It is there, overlooking Lake Thun with a view of the 2,362 meter Niesen and the rest of the Bernese Oberland Alps, it is
The rest is child’s play: plug in the charging cable, press the start button and just enjoy the scenery. The icing on the cake: next to the charging station, Willi Keller from the restaurant Event & Ferienhof Krinde has transformed his former apiary into a mini-spa. Upon reservation, you can even relax in a medicinal herb bath, with a breathtaking view of the lake and the mountains. And to regain your strength, there is nothing better than a delicious plättli of cheese and charcuterie. This is also how you recharge your own batteries! Honestly, where have you ever had such a memorable fill-up?
