Charging solutions

As part of the brand’s holistic approach to EV ownership, the third Audi charging hub has opened in Berlin – part of a concept that demonstrates just what ‘living with an EV’ can and look like.

The new facility follows on from the original pilot project opened in Nuremberg and then a second in Zurich, which offer urban quick-charging concepts that combine fast charging for vehicles with additional facilities that allow owners to utilise their time while their vehicle is being recharged.

The facilities utilise ‘second-life’ EV batteries to store energy from existing infrastructure in the locations, allowing for power distribution from mains or batteries depending on the load requirements and time of day for optimal distribution.

At this new location in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Audi has partnered with a local business, Frischeparadies (part of a national chain), which features a shopping market and gourmet bistro and supplies the power connection for use by the hub. Using its second-life batteries, the Audi charging hub will only charge the buffer batteries when the power demands from Frischeparadies are at their lowest, using its dynamic load control system to ensure the most efficient use of the existing power infrastructure.

The buffer storage unit uses second-life batteries from dismantled Audi test vehicles to offer sustainable quick-charging wherever the power grid would struggle to constantly operate four high-power charging (HPC) points at up to 320 kW. While quick-charging infrastructure without buffer storage often faces long wait times for the required transformers, the Audi charging hub makes the most efficient use of the existing infrastructure.

In addition to the practical considerations, there is the convenience to users in both the locations these hubs have been built and also the facilities they offer those who use them. In the original facility in Nuremberg for example, the Audi charging hub consists of six charging points with a 200-square-metre lounge on top where owners can relax or work while their vehicle is downstairs changing. 

Launched late last year, the success of the charging hub has exceeded all expectations, with many customers integrating a visit to the hub into the regular schedule, according to Ralph Hollmig, Audi charging hub project manager.

“When we launched the Audi charging hub in December 2021, hardly anyone had predicted this level of success,” Hollmig says.

“By the end of January 2023, we already had our 10,000th visitor in Nuremberg. In Zurich, too, we are seeing similarly high demand. These figures completely validate our concept of urban charging instead of home solutions.”

The Audi charging hub models demonstrate how the needs of EV customers can be serviced over and above the standard charging outlets. Such has been the success of the pilot that the brand will continue to expand the model in Europe with new outlets planned for Salzburg and Munich next.

“In the first wave, we will roll out versions without a lounge, joining up with partner companies to offer service facilities,” says Elias Hammer, Audi Manager responsible for the rollout in Berlin.

“We want to understand our customers so that we can guarantee the best possible service with compact versions, but from 2024 also offer versions with lounges of different sizes. For this reason, we are seeking additional partner companies and suitable urban locations.”