Electric roadtrip to the world's northernmost fast-charging station

The sun has barely shown over the horizon when the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) shows that there is going to be a total of around 1,500 kilometres ahead. Eight media – from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Romania, France, Italy, Germany and the US – head to the fleet of all-electric Porsche cars in Kiruna’s new town square, already some 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Their destination is the Norwegian fishing village of Mehamn, and what is the most northerly fast charger in the world.

From the moment that Porsche launched the Taycan with a massive trans-European press drive in 2019, the sports car manufacturer has used the road trip as a means of demonstrating the all-electric sports car’s ability to fast-travel long distances. In the years that have followed, there have been Taycan drives across Australia, from Darwin to Bondi Beach, from Stuttgart to first Seville and then Istanbul, and even across India. This one, arguably a sterner test still, due to the weather and road conditions, is to the Nordkinn Peninsula, the tip of which is the northernmost point of mainland Europe.

Driving under realistic conditions

Four electric models accelerate emphatically into the Arctic dawn – two examples of the new all-electric Macan, and two Taycan Cross Turismo cars. Immediately, it is made clear that this is not to be a carefully controlled hypermiling experiment. The media drive as quickly as the road conditions and speed limits allow, with the heating set to keep the cars perfectly comfortable even though there is as much as 35 degrees Celsius between the temperature outside and in.

The charging strategy has not been prescribed either: the Charging Planner, which comes as standard in Macan and Taycan Cross Turismo, works out where they need to stop, and for how long. As it turns out, the whole leg through Sweden and a chunk of Finland is done without having to charge at all, with the first stop in Kautokeino, already 40 km into Norway’s far northern Finnmark district.

Scandinavia is well known for the quality and availability of its EV charging infrastructure, and there is even a choice of fast charging stations in this warm and friendly town amidst a cold and inhospitable landscape.

Impressive landscape and treacherous road conditions

A quick charge while the drivers stop for a coffee, snack and driver swap, and the convoy is back on the road again, this time heading to the new six-charger IONITY station in Lakselv. As it is Shrove Tuesday – or ‘Fat Tuesday’ as it is known in Norway – when one is meant to eat all the naughty things in the store cupboard before the start of Lent, more buns than is normally considered appropriate are consumed in Marthe’s Café next door.

Not far from Lakselv, the route turns left onto one of the unsung heroes among Europe’s epic driving roads – FV888 (Fylkesvei being Norwegian for provincial road). This sinuous ribbon of tarmac carries the Porsche models alongside stunning fjords and over the mountains for the journey north’s final 101 km. As the electric cars pull away from the IONITY after a short break, FV888 is covered in the most treacherous mixture of snow and ice yet seen on the journey, as the dropping temperatures cause the day’s meltwater to rapidly refreeze. 

Even though the fleet of all-wheel drive Macan and Taycan models are equipped with standard winter tyres rather than the studded tyres popular in Scandinavia, they do not put a wheel wrong. The cars, and their international cadre of drivers, track briskly but safely ever further north.

And then, finally, the destination hoves into view – a Kople charging station with a range of power outputs up to 175 kW. The cars are plugged in, with the black waters of the Barents Sea right behind them. At the Nordic Safari Hotel just the other side of the harbour, chef Kolbjørn Kristoffersen is putting the finishing touches to a dinner of king crab, landed only a few hours later. A long day comes to an end.

And back the same way the next day

“On many road trips around the world we’ve already proven that electric mobility is suitable for everyday use – this time in the cold of the Scandinavian winter,” says Mayk Wienkötter, Spokesperson Panamera and Taycan.

It’s the first time that we’ve had the Macan and the Taycan together on a trip like this. In temperatures between freezing and minus 10 degrees Celsius, our electric sports cars performed brilliantly. Their real-world range in these conditions proved to be about 380 km, with consumption of approximately 25 kilowatt hours per 100 km.

It’s testament to the efforts that the Porsche engineers have put into the thermal management and standard heat pumps, among other things. Everyone on the trip made good progress; at no point did the system request that someone should turn the heating down; and everybody charged quickly – where the cars told us to and for how long.

Under these conditions the journey couldn’t have been completed any quicker in a combustion-engined car. “The ride was extremely pleasant and the flight options up here aren’t great, so we’re just going to do the whole trip back again tomorrow. Another 750 km, another 10 hours’ driving, another couple of quick stops to charge. No problem.”

About the Macan and the Taycan Cross Turismo

With the new Macan and the Taycan, the sports car manufacturer is resolutely driving forward the electrification of its model range. In 2024, the Macan entered its second generation – as a fully electric model. Through its progressive, timeless design, characteristic Porsche performance, long-distance range and with true everyday practicality, the new Macan completely fulfils the requirements of Porsche customers who wish to drive an SUV.

The Taycan Cross Turismo has all the strengths of the Taycan, such as superior performance and long range. In addition, there is more headroom for passengers in the rear and a larger load volume behind the tailgate. The chassis with standard all-wheel drive and air suspension is height adjustable. Off-road design elements include wheel arch trims, unique front and rear lower aprons and side sills.