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After a first test in Nuremberg, Audi is extending its fast charging concept to other cities. Thus, the city of Zurich will host two Charging Hubs, removable storage batteries that can charge up to six cars. Stations that can be equipped with a lounge.
The Audi Charging Hubs use recycled batteries offering two charging points and a power of up to 320 kW per socket.
If 85 to 90% of recharges are done at home or at work, this should not make us forget that it is sometimes very difficult to find a terminal in town. And if some countries such as Norway and the Netherlands offer a very dense urban network of charging stations, in France, the delay is like a gap.
To remedy this problem, the Audi manufacturer has imagined the Charging Hub concept taking the form of two cubes concealing recycled lithium-ion batteries. These come from old electric vehicles of the brand with the rings. Each cube offers two charging points delivering a maximum charging power of 320 kW per outlet. These cubes have the advantage of being mounted in series, but above all of being removable. The stored energy comes from sustainable resources, while solar panels on the roof can provide up to 30 kW of additional energy.
Almost 24 loads per day
In December 2021, Audi opened its first pilot site on the outskirts of Nuremberg, Germany. This mini-grid is made up of six charging points containing 2.45 MWh of temporary storage. All it takes is a plug-in”200 kW to the low voltage network to permanently fill the storage modules“. In addition, this first charging station is accompanied by a 200 m2 reception area and a 40 m2 terrace where customers are invited to relax and eat while charging.
After the airport lounge, here is the urban lounge designed by Audi, reserved for customers recharging their vehicles.
According to the first figures collected between January and April 2022 by Audi, the Nuremberg site “recorded some 3100 charges, an average of 24 charges at around 800 kWh per day“. An Audi official clarifies that “60% of charging sessions come from regular customers who are unable to charge at home in an urban environment“.
As for the lounge (bookable), nearly 35 customers per day visited it. In addition to a concierge, day visitors also used the food delivery service available to them.
On the strength of this first successful experience, Audi has decided to open, from the second half of 2022, a second pilot hub in the city center – banking and insurance district – of Zurich. It will be equipped with two “power cubes” offering four charging points generating up to 320 kW each.
On the other hand, no mention was made of the presence of a reception fair such as that of Nuremberg, the price of land in the center of Zurich not being the same as in the outskirts of Nuremberg. A valid factor for all major European cities.
This does not seem to deter Audi from continuing its expansion, since after Zurich, Salzburg and Berlin are the next cities where Charging Hubs will be installed during the second half of 2022. Audi plans to deploy at three other sites in major cities in 2023, while other Charging Hubs are planned for 2024. It remains to be seen whether Audi will continue this experiment beyond Germany and Switzerland, an experiment in France which could prove interesting for our market.