Audi continues to roll out Charging Hub after the successful pilot phase

The response to the pilot phase of the Audi Charging Hub in Nuremberg has been overwhelmingly positive.

The fact that around 60 per cent of the charging processes have so far been carried out by returning customers confirms the city-centre concept of the four rings, the manufacturer said in a recent statement. With the Audi Charging Hub, Audi primarily serves drivers who do not have the opportunity to charge at home in an urban environment. In the second half of the year, a second compact pilot of the Audi Charging Park is to open in Zurich in a central location, followed by locations in Salzburg and Berlin. Further locations are planned for 2023 and mid-2024, initially in Germany.

Audi registered around 3100 charging processes from January to the end of April 2022 at the Nuremberg site during the pilot phase of the world's first fast-charging station with six reservable high-power charging slots; on average, that is 24 charging processes with around 800 kWh of charged electricity per day. In addition, an average of 35 customers visited the 200-square-metre barrier-free lounge, which also includes a 40-square-metre terrace above the charging cubes - and the trend is still rising.

According to Audi, the comfortable charging experience, which can be reserved via an app and includes a lounge and a catering offer, has been very well received by users. Overall, customers appreciate the convenient charging with the swivel arm, roof, lounge and concierge. "The figures and the positive customer feedback show that our concept of offering a flexible and premium fast-charging infrastructure in urban areas has been a complete success," says Ralph Hollmig, project manager for the Audi Charging Hub. The service offers such as the exchange station for micromobility batteries as well as a delivery service for purchases were also actively used.

Self-sufficient and sustainable charging infrastructure as a basis
The cubes serve as energy storage in Nuremberg and then also at all future locations. The flexible container cubes can be assembled and disassembled at short notice on existing sites and offer two fast-charging points per unit.

Used lithium-ion batteries - so-called second-life batteries - from dismantled Audi test vehicles serve as power storage. The Charging Hub thus brings a sustainable fast-charging infrastructure via the battery storage solution to places where the power grid would not be sufficient to operate six HPC charging points with up to 320 kW. Thanks to the 2.45 MWh intermediate storage unit, the entire site in Nuremberg only needs a 200 kW connection to the low-voltage grid to continuously fill the storage modules. Nevertheless, up to six e-cars can be charged simultaneously with a total of around one megawatt of power. A green power contract ensures that only electricity from sustainable sources is used. Photovoltaic modules on the roof additionally supply up to 30 kW of green energy.

Compact variant for Zurich's banking and insurance district
Based on the findings and positive feedback from customers in Nuremberg, Audi plans to put another variant of the Charging Hub modular system into operation in the second half of the year, with four covered charging points at two Power Cubes in Zurich. The smaller space requirement is tailor-made for urban locations and fits ideally into the banking and insurance district in Zurich, he said. Further advantages: The lead times for planning and implementation are short, and civil engineering measures are not required.

An essential component of the variable and compact concept is the swivel arm, which has been modified again in comparison to Nuremberg and allows cars to be charged barrier-free across the entire width of the individual parking spaces with up to 320 kW. The operating displays at the charging points are height-adjustable and the paths between the Cube and the vehicle are wide enough for wheelchair users. In addition, two 55-inch screens point out the extensive service landscape around the hub - including numerous food and fitness offers as well as e-bike sharing in the immediate vicinity.