ROME – An Audi charging hub in Germany by the end of the year, with the aim of extending it to the rest of Europe. This is the project announced by the Ingolstadt company in view of the total electrification of its range – already now we are at half of the models – which will take place within a few years. Basically, an effective solution to cope with the growth in access to the public charging network. The new Audi hub will therefore be a high-power refueling station (HPC), equipped with a lounge area for waiting that can be booked by users, who will thus be able to guarantee speed and safety in planning their journeys.
“The modular structure includes a series of columns, a low-flow power supply line and an energy storage system using lithium-ion batteries that have come to a second life,” explain the carmaker’s technicians. “Accumulators of automotive derivation which, instead of being sent for recycling, are destined for static reuse, allowing the management of peak phases in demand thanks to three modules with a total capacity of 2.45 MWh. With six stations with power up to 300 kW, the hub will be powered by a simple 400 Volt network and each storage module will receive 11 kW energy ”.
Photovoltaic panels were also installed on the roof of the hub, to add sustainable energy to what was stored in the battery modules during the night (and then supplied during the day).
“Charging hubs can be transported, installed and made operational quickly and independently of the capacity of the local network,” explains Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development at Audi AG. “The creation of an innovative, flexible, sustainable and high-performance charging lounge is an expression of Audi’s avant-garde. Our customers can book the service, benefit from a comfort area and refuel quickly thanks to the electrical power of the hubs ”.
In essence, it means being able to stop even for just five minutes at the hub to refuel with electricity and in the meantime have a coffee in an area that resembles the VIPs of airports. After all, any Audi model only takes a few minutes connected to a direct current (DC) station up to 270 kW to travel 100 kilometers, while charging from 5% to 80% of the accumulator takes about twenty minutes at most. (fp)
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