Audi has opened a new charging hub in downtown Berlin, the third location after those in Nuremberg and Zurich.
For its third charging hub, Audi has turned to a local partner company in Berlin, using the existing power supply there. Frischeparadies, the cooperation partner, has an attractive shopping market and gourmet bistro in the same location as the new Audi charging hub.
The partner is providing its power connection for use by the hub, and in the future, Frischeparadies and the Audi charging hub will get their power from a shared power line, on a needs- and load-oriented basis.
Audi's new urban premium quick-charging site offers four reservable charging points with up to 320 kW of power. As with the existing charging hubs, the one in Berlin is equipped with second-life batteries dismantled from Audi test vehicles; the buffer batteries will be charged only when Frischeparadies requires little power.
The buffer storage allows Audi 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.
Gallery: Audi charging hub in Berlin
The smart, dynamic load control system Audi has developed in-house is said to ensure efficient use of the existing power infrastructure. In selecting the location, the automaker relied on an in-house data analysis to determine on-site demand in advance.
"Berlin is yet another example of the success of our smart charging concept. In this way, we will manage all hub locations as efficiently and sustainably as possible. We are working on energy optimization. In the future, we can even imagine using smart trading to buy electricity from the energy exchange. This also means, for example, that we buy electricity from renewable sources when it's affordable."
Ralph Hollmig, Audi charging hub project manager
Audi says it has received positive response from users at the Nuremberg and Zurich sites. In Nuremberg, where Audi has been operating its large charging hub with six charging points and a 2,150-sq-ft (200-square-meter) lounge above it since December 2021, the customer return rate is 70 percent.
Audi has counted up to 62 charges per day at the site, with an average of 36 charges daily. By the end of January 2023, the company had its 10,000th visitor in Nuremberg and says it is seeing similarly high demand in Zurich.
"Customers there have now integrated charging at the hub into their daily routine," said Hollmig. Around half of the users come to the hub in an Audi EV, according to the automaker.
