Day 5: Trondheim (Norway) → Mo i Rana (Norway)

One of the planning principals we adopt on road-trips is to never relay on a destination charge – treat them as a bonus if you can get them. However, sometimes we don’t apply this rule if we’re certain we’re going to get a charge overnight. Usually based on the charger being controlled by valet parking and we’ve booked or discussed it with them before arriving.

Last nights stay at The Britannia was one of these occasions. In our planning notes we put: “Plan to arrive at hotel with 20% charge. Valet controlled destination charging booked (250 NOK/€22)”.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Despite booking the parking and charging slot three months in advance in writing and mentioning it twice on check-in – the car was left overnight on the street outside the hotel where we had stopped for it to be taken to the hotel underground.

In the morning, we were told there was “no driver” to move it and therefore it went uncharged. This was annoying as we were relying on that charge to get away from Trondheim quickly – and we could have easily driven it into the garage ourselves had we been informed.

As it was fixed price parking and charging cost – we also arrived with a relatively low state of charge to maximise the value!

We are due to stay in this hotel again next week on our return leg – and we’re in two minds to change our booking – despite being assured we’ll get charged next time.

So we decide to use the Porsche Charging Planner to suggest a location – and it picks a 400 kW Recharge station about 15 minutes away – which we find easily.

We plug in but decide to use a Fortum charge & drive RFID token we carry – instead of using our Porsche Charging Service Card – for cost reasons and to take the “time” element out of the billing.

Which is just as well – as the car has not had enough time to prepare the battery – having sat outside in -7c temperatures overnight. The battery was only at 3c when we start charging – and therefore it would only pull between 50-60 kW.

We decide to get enough charge here to allow us to reach another charger about 100 km away – so we would arrive there with a well prepared battery and take on energy at a faster rate.

We drive through the many tunnels on the northern outskirts of Trondheim.

And under the city airport runway.

Until we reach our new charging stop at Verdal – another Recharge station – with a well prepared battery.

Unfortunately, this turns out to be a 400V station – so we’re limited by our 150 kW 400V booster on-board. Something the very clear charging display screen makes obvious with a “Vehicle Limits” icon – explaining that it is the car that is preventing the full 200 kW instead of the station.

And yes, the QR code works to see all the details about this charging session – including the charging curve!

After we take on enough energy to reach our originally planned IONITY further north – we continue on the E6 northwards – stopping briefly for some food at AMFI Steinkjer – and grabbing some unplanned 22 kW AC power from a nearby Mer charger.

Continuing on the E6 the roads are clear and we make good progress.

However, it isn’t long before some real arctic conditions set in.

We capture some dramatic ice road driving footage with our mounted GoPro.

And pull into IONITY Namsskogan – a relatively new station this far north – we passed it being built out this time last year. If we’d had our overnight destination charge at Trondheim – we’d have reached here without any difficulty and probably a more than an hour earlier.

As we pull in – we notice a Cayenne EV and a 718 EV under test – just pulling out of the station! Unfortunately, we were not quick enough with our camera to capture them through our snow covered windscreen. However, the 718 EV’s shape and size is looking VERY appealing.

Yes, those brake lights through the snow is a 718 EV – you’ll have to trust us!

After taking on board enough energy to get us to our hotel tonight – we set off again and pass under the sign that marks the start of proper Northern Norway.

As darkness beings to fall and the icy roads continue into the night.

With our night-vision camera keeping a look out for Elk from their heat signature and movement behaviour – before they are visible to the naked eye.

With some careful driving we arrive safely at our overnight hotel in Mo I Rana – where unlike our hotel last night – we immediately park beside the many destination chargers and plug in for a 22 kW AC overnight top up.

We’ll tackle crossing the Arctic Circle tomorrow morning will a full charge on-board.

The days charging stats

Location	Start SOC %	End SOC %	kWh added	Cost	Duration	Ambient Temp	Battery Temp	Charger Type	Network
Recharge Ranhelm	19%	45%	23.95	€13.37	25 mins	-3C	3C	DC 300 kW	Recharge
Recharge Verdal	16%	70%	48.45	€26.99	24 mins	-5C	36C	DC 200 kW	Recharge
AMFI Steinkjer	63%	74%	10.0	€4.46	32 mins	-3C	28C	AC 22 kW	MER
IONITY Namsskogan	19%	82%	56.29	€9.12	18 mins	-8C	38C	DC 350 kW	IONITY
Scandic Mo i Rana	24%	100%	63.6	€17.05	4 hours	-9C	24C	AC 22 kW	Hotel

Today we did 475 km over 8:48 hours, with an average speed of 55 km/h, consuming 26.6 kWh/100km.