The model of premium charging stations gathers momentum, as Porsche plans its own exclusive charging network.
- Audi will build a second reservation-only charging hub for EV owners in Zurich, Switzerland, after pilot Nuremberg station.
- The hub has spaces for just six vehicles and can be booked via an app, offering a place to relax or work inside, along with food and drink.
- The luxury charging hub concept is receiving more attention in the industry, as automakers work to replicate the success of Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Just a few months after launching its first exclusive charging hub in Nuremberg, Audi reveals it will open a second pilot hub in Zurich, further evolving its concept of a premium charging network. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann made the announcement a few days ago, signaling plans to expand this charging station concept, possibly before a wider launch in Europe and elsewhere.
The Audi CEO revealed Zurich as the second pilot hub location just as Audi’s corporate sibling Porsche announced plans to create its own charging network in Europe just for Porsche owners.
“Charging must be as simple as refueling—and ideally even more convenient,” Duesmann said a few days ago. “We successfully launched the pilot phase of our additional premium fast-charging service, the Audi charging hub, in December. This summer, we are launching a second pilot in Zurich.”
The concept itself combines an app-based, reservation-only booking service with a premium charging experience and environment, complete with service staff, as well as a place to work, eat, and relax. The hub is meant to provide high-speed charging to EV owners in a luxury setting, previewing one possible direction of the evolution of travel plazas in the future.
When it comes to charging, Audi’s hub concept features charging spaces for just six vehicles at a time, offering speeds of up to 320 kW. The hub itself also features its own energy storage system, with approximately 2.45 MWh of interim storage, powered by second-life EV batteries. A 200-kW power connection recharges the storage units, which eliminates the need for a type of grid connection that stations without storage typically require, thus simplifying the building process.
Audi appears to be thinking about a wider rollout of this station concept in Europe, offering a luxury interior space to Audi owners.
Audi
Audi’s charging hub concept is not meant to be a travel plaza open to all EVs, hence its reservation-only nature, so the building itself isn’t meant to sit on a highly traveled location just off the autobahn. Rather, Audi envisions this hub concept as an exclusive and luxurious place to recharge and rest—a Tesla Supercharger station combined with an airline lounge.
Will this be something that Audi will offer stateside in the future?
Audi has hinted in recent months the concept will see a wider launch in Europe to start, before any thought is given to an international rollout. Indeed, quite a bit has to happen before we could see a station like this in an EV hotspot like northern California, even if demand already exists there.
It’s worth recalling that despite the 320-kW charging speeds the pilot hub offers, the vast majority of EV owners recharge their vehicles at home, overnight. So the aim of these exclusive stations is a bit different, and will still have to present some financial upside to Audi in the future, in order to be extended on a wider scale.
Audi is betting some EV owners in certain metro areas will pay a premium for the experience and convenience, but it’s clear the automaker won’t aim for geographic coverage on the level of other charging networks that exist as standalone stations—Audi’s hubs will be limited in number, and will likely be confined to major cities.
Audi’s sibling brand Porsche will likely offer its own take on a premium charging experience with its version of DC fast-charging stations in Germany. Expect Porsche to aim for geographic reach somewhere on par with Tesla’s Supercharger network, at least in Europe for now.
Keyword: Audi Plans Another Reservation-Only Charging Hub