Audi has announced the opening of its third charging hub, this time partnering with a local company in Berlin. The Frischeparadies, a shopping market and gourmet bistro, will be providing its power connection for use by the hub. The Audi charging hub will get its power from a shared power line on a needs- and load-oriented basis.
The hub is equipped with second-life batteries and a smart, dynamic load control system developed in-house by Audi to ensure efficient use of the existing power infrastructure. The location was selected by Audi following an in-house data analysis to determine on-site demand in advance.
Elias Hammer, the Audi Manager responsible for the rollout in Berlin and energy system integration for the Audi charging hub, stated that the dynamic load control system enables the energy demands to be shifted to a time of day when Frischeparadies is using less power from the grid. Ralph Hollmig, Audi charging hub project manager, added that the success of the smart charging concept is demonstrated by the positive response at the Nuremberg and Zurich sites. In Nuremberg, the customer return rate is 70 percent, and the first Audi charging hub registers an average of 36 charges daily.
The buffer storage unit utilizes second-life batteries from dismantled Audi test vehicles and allows the brand 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.
The Audi charging hub makes optimal use of the existing infrastructure and ensures efficient and sustainable operation. Audi is working on energy optimization and may use smart trading to buy electricity from the energy exchange in the future. This would enable the brand to buy electricity from renewable sources when it’s affordable.
The success of the Nuremberg and Zurich charging hubs demonstrates the high demand for urban quick-charging solutions. Audi’s charging hub concept is proving to be popular among drivers of electric cars from Audi and other brands.
