Audi Charging Hub: fast, flexible and sustainable charging stations
Strategically located in city centres, the Audi Charging Hubs allow users to book fast charging points via app, while at the same time providing a wide range of services. A convenient solution for users, who use them on a regular basis.
The Audi Charging Hub is a flexible, modular charging station concept that is spreading to various locations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe: first Nuremberg, then Zurich, Berlin and Salzburg, soon Munich. The most appreciated features for e-car drivers are its strategic location and the possibility for Audi customers to book a parking slot for fast charging via smartphone.
In Nuremberg, the Audi Charging Hub has been running since December 2021 and more than half of the users use it to charge their vehicles on a regular basis. On average, 24 charges per day are carried out, amounting to 800 kWh of energy; also on average, 35 customers visit the 200 m² lounge every day, which includes a 40 m² terrace directly over the charging stations.
Lounge and services
In general, Audi users are increasingly using the app to book a charging point for their electric car, and the lounge services are also frequently appreciated and used. These include the battery exchange station for micro-mobility vehicles, but also the delivery service for groceries. "The numbers and the positive customer feedback show that our concept of offering a flexible, premium fast charging infrastructure in urban areas is panning out" explained Ralph Hollmig, Audi Charging Hub Project Leader.
Batteries and connections
In all Audi Charging Hubs the batteries in which the energy is stored are arranged in special cubes, flexible containers that can be quickly built up and dismantled; each unit has two fast charging points. The accumulators are made up of automotive batteries that have reached their second life, in other words they come from Audi vehicles used in the tests and then dismantled.
In further detail, the Nuremberg station only needs a 200 kW connection to the low-voltage grid to keep the storage modules charged, thanks to the 2.45 MWh buffer battery. This allows sustainable fast charging even in locations where the electricity grid is not sufficient to supply six 320 kW HPC charging points. Also in Nuremberg, solar panels on the roof provide up to 30 kW of renewable energy. The available energy allows up to six electric cars to be charged simultaneously.
Different dimensions
Last November, a 'compact' version of the Audi Charging Hub was inaugurated in Zurich: it uses two energy cubes for four charging points and is located in the banking and insurance district of the Swiss city. Thanks to its modular and flexible design, the Audi Charging Hub can be installed in different spaces and its dimensions are perfect for urban environments: “This way the preliminary work phases for planning and execution are accordingly short” added Hollmig.
In Zurich, the hub is also equipped with a swivel arm which allows the car charging cable to be moved across the entire width of the location; in addition, the charging point displays are height-adjustable. There is no lounge in the Zurich hub, but there is still a wide range of services: from food to fitness to electric bike sharing.
Constant expansion
Further Audi Charging Hubs have been activated in Salzburg and Berlin. Shortly it will be the turn of Munich, while eight more charging stations will be built in German cities in 2024.
The Audi Charging Hub is a charging infrastructure for e-drivers in urban areas, open to everyone and with the possibility for Audi customers to book a charging slot; thanks to the use of second-life batteries, it is an extremely sustainable solution. A further advantage is that it acts as a reserve storage for DC power, making a complex infrastructure with high-voltage lines and expensive converters unnecessary. Finally, the modular design allows planners to quickly and flexibly adapt the hub to local conditions.
Source: AUDI AG
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