Audi has revealed that it will pilot an interesting charging station concept this summer, and it might remind of premium airport lounges for first-class fliers. The posh “charging hub” concept will allow Audi EV owners to make a reservation for up to 300 kW charging speeds and enjoy a luxury experience inside the lounge. According to Audi, various amenities and a range of snacks, drinks, and non-food items will be on offer. The design illustrations of the charging hub revealed by Audi envision a futuristic facility lit by LED lights and featuring fast charging pods. Audi says the concept “addresses future peak demands and the lack of charging opportunities at home.” The stations can juice up an E-Tron GT from 5% to 80% battery in 23 minutes.
Another interesting aspect of the Audi charging concept is its modular design. Audi says the hub can be transported, installed, and adapted to the individual location quickly. In addition to that, the charging station will remain largely independent of local network capacities. The German automaker claims that the hub will feature “cubes” that house the charging pillars and are packed with recycled lithium-ion batteries. The charging hub will be capable of holding 2.45 Mwh of energy but will only require a standard 400V connection from the grid instead of high-voltage lines and transformers. The cubes will be charged overnight, while the roof will also get solar panels the supplement the power needs.
“The charging hub embodies our aspiration for the electric era and highlights Audi’s commitment to ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik.’ A flexible, high-performing HPC charging park like this does not require much from the local electricity grid and uses a sustainable battery concept. Our customers benefit in numerous ways: from the ability to make exclusive reservations, a lounge area, and short waiting times thanks to high-performance charging. This is consistent with the premium concept,” said Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development of Audi AG. Audi plans to open a pilot station in Germany “in late summer,” however there are no plans for rollouts in the US or other parts of the world.
[Via: Autoblog]
