Audi shared its vision for a network of premium charging stations to improve the infrastructure for electric vehicles in residential areas.
From the second half of this year, the company will set up six hubs in Germany to test the feasibility of the technology before “possible serial deployment”. The precise locations have not yet been decided, but talks with possible partners are underway.
These charge centers will be High Power Charging Stations (HPC) which can be booked in advance by Audi owners. They will have charge outputs of up to 300 kW, allowing an E-tron GT to charge from a nearly 80% empty battery in about 23 minutes.
Above the chargers themselves, the hubs will have a seating area and canteen for drivers to use while they wait.
The hubs have been designed to be easy to install. Comprised of a series of cubic structures, the hubs can be transported and installed quickly in individual locations. The energy will be stored, Audi claims, in lithium-ion batteries from older electric vehicles.
Batteries are capable of storing continuous electric current. This eliminates the need for a complex infrastructure with high-voltage lines and expensive transformers, Audi says.
In addition to the cubes, the hubs feature solar panels on the roof for additional energy.
Oliver Hoffman, Audi Technical Development Board Member, said: “The load center embodies our aspiration for the electric age and underlines Audi’s commitment to Vorsprung durch Technik.
“A flexible high-performance HPC charging park like this doesn’t require a lot of the local power grid and uses a sustainable battery concept.
“We test the optimal technical solution very realistically. The focus is on the needs of our customers. “
The charging stations are the latest in a series of electric-themed projects from Audi. Last summer, the German firm began to develop a two-way charging system; this would allow electric cars not only to receive electricity from home stores via wall chargers, but also to store it and even return it to the grid.
READ MORE
First drive: 2021 Audi Q4 E-tron prototype
Audi develops a vehicle-to-grid charging system for electric vehicles
Audi confirms model cycles will remain six to seven years
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-24 11:54:22