Audi is testing the water with a charging station that electric car owners can book in advance, thus allaying their worries that there will be no free bay once they get there and allow them to plan their trip.
Known as the Audi Charging Hub, the first of which opened in the German city of Nuremberg last December, and the trial operation of the station proved so successful that Audi said on Wednesday that they were planning to expand the trial by building more charging stations in additional space. .
A second Audi charging hub will open later this year in Zurich, Switzerland, followed by stations in the German cities of Salzburg and Berlin. Additional stations are scheduled to open in Germany in 2023 and 2024.
The idea of an Audi charging hub in Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg Station registered an estimated 3,100 subscribers in the first four months of 2022 and had about 60% repeat visitors, according to Audi. The station is targeted at urban EV owners who cannot charge their vehicles at home.
The Audi Charging Hub is designed with a flexible layout that enables it to be easily extended or reduced in size through modular blocks. Each of these blocks has a charging outlet as well as a lithium-ion battery for energy storage. The idea is that batteries can be recovered from old EVs. For the first station, Audi used batteries from the old prototype.
The first station has six bays with access to fast charging outlets offering charging power up to 320 kW. Audi’s E-Tron GT Super Sedan can charge up to 270 kW, enabling 5-80% charge in about 22 minutes. A lounge area is located on the second floor, which means customers do not have to wait while charging their car.