Tesla has partnered with Germany's bk Group to install so-called lounge Qubes complete with coffee and food machines, recreation facilities and restrooms at Supercharger stations across Europe.
The first bk World Qubes were installed in early June at a 20-stall Tesla Supercharger station in Endsee, Germany, but around 300 more are to come across Europe in the next five years. The German company says the new concept revolutionizes long-distance travel by electric car by creating charging havens.
Usually, charging stations don't offer much in the way of helping drivers pass the time while their electric cars are charging. Most of the time, drivers' options are limited to the cabin of their vehicle and include consuming takeout, killing time on the mobile phone, working on the laptop or simply taking a nap in the seat.
The founders of bk World, Gerold Wolfarth and Marc Arnold, have been through that as well and set out to create a better and unique experience for EV drivers at charging stations.
"The whole concept of bk World is thought from the user’s point of view. So: what do I really need as a driver of an electric car during my charging break?"
Marc Arnold, bk World co-founder
The answer is simple: sanitary facilities, a comfortable lounge area, completely automated service of various products, small office corners for business talks, a children's play area and a green environment. All these things are provided by the so-called Qube, which comes in a minimum size of 50 square meters (538 square feet) and can be as big as the customer wishes given their modular nature.
The cubes are combinable and easily transportable by road, and they can be added to, dismantled or moved within a very short time. All that's needed to make a cube functional at a location is water, waste water and electricity connections.
Interestingly, the food that can be purchased on site is described as healthy, fresh and low in sugar, as bk Group says it avoids working with large corporations and focuses on regional and sustainable food producers instead. At each bk World station a maximum of 80 selected products from the respective region will be available.
For example, visitors of the Endsee Tesla Supercharger station will find Franconian wines, award-winning chocolate products or exceptional cooking oils from the region, among other products.
Now watch Out of Spec Reviews' Kyle and Jordan as they check out the first bk World facility in rural Bavaria and discover all its facilities, including the cool pizza vending machine installed outdoors that can cook a pie in just 4 minutes. We can only hope Tesla considers bringing this concept stateside as well.
