March / April 2016
32
A Tesla can be charged at home, but without in-
stalling a super charger, the car will take several
hours to fully recharge when at zero. Once away
from home finding a specific automotive public
use charging station can be an adventure. KCP&L
has begun installing several charging station in and
around our area. However, away from KC, and
depending where and how far you are traveling,
finding recharging stations can be a process. Yes,
the network is growing, and Tesla does have an
app on their cars' information screen as to where
major recharging stations are, but on long trips to
less populated areas, this can be nail biting.
After my Tesla adventure I visited the friend-
ly folks at Aristocrat Motors in Merriam. There I
was granted access to and a test drive of a hybrid
Cayenne SUV, part electric, part gasoline fueled.
As always, the fit and finish were up to Porsche's
impeccable standards, and the ride was top notch.
The response from the throttle was Porsche good,
but not quite the kick in the butt that the Tesla de-
livered. The Porsche Mission E will meet or beat
Tesla's performance and it will fully recharge from
zero with their high output charger in 15 minutes.
Once speeds reach over 45 mph in the Cayenne,
the gas engine operates at 100%, while the electric
power plant receives some charge. When not on
the road, again a home or public charging station
is required to keep the electric motor at full charge.
