Audi to create an exclusive charging network in China
Audi has just announced the construction of fast-charging stations in Chinese cities with up to 360 kW of power. The first of these fast chargers are to be installed in major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, from the end of 2022. The network will be exclusively available for Audi drivers.
The roll-out of the new fast chargers coincides with the market launch of the Audi RS e-tron GT in China at the end of this year. Audi has not yet disclosed the planned size of the exclusive network. The German carmaker merely states that “further cities and locations will follow” beyond the four metropolises mentioned. These will be selected on the basis of the population and traffic volume of luxury electric car owners.
As far as the chargers themselves are concerned, Audi says the chargers have a capacity of 360 kW and that, on top of that, the chargers are already “suitable for future faster-charging requirements” due to a maximum voltage of 1,000 V and a maximum current of 400 A. Other keywords mentioned are liquid-cooled connections, 27-mm cable diameter and sufficient cable length to “supply all types of Audi e-tron models”. The appearance of the charging stations is to be based on the “current Audi showroom design in China”. Although Audi has not provided any pictures, in contrast to the first charging hubs opened in Germany and Switzerland, the Chinese stations are likely to be columns without an adjoining lounge. In any case, there is no mention of lounges or anything similar in the official announcement.
Audi emphasises that it will have a total of six BEV models on the Chinese market by the end of 2022 – namely the Audi e-tron, Audi e-tron Sportback, Audi Q5 e-tron, Audi Q4 e-tron, Audi Q2L e-tron and, most recently, the Audi RS e-tron GT. The German carmaker aims to add five localised luxury electric vehicles tailored specifically to Chinese customers by the middle of the decade. “Among them also PPE models,” says Audi. Three PPE models of the Audi A6 e-tron and Audi Q6 e-tron series alone are to come off the production line in a factory currently under construction by the Audi-FAW joint venture from 2024. The plant is currently being built in the northern Chinese metropolis of Changchun.
The newly announced, exclusive HPC network supports models based on the MLB evo, MEB, J1 and PPE platforms. This ensures compatibility of the aforementioned vehicles, including upcoming models, until 2025, according to the German carmaker’s statement.
In addition to the proprietary charging network, Audi will also offer solutions for home charging in China in the future, as well as public fast charging at stations of the Volkswagen joint venture CAMS, among others. For home charging, Chinese customers will receive an Audi wall box with up to 11 kW free of charge. For on-the-go charging, Audi customers will be given access via the Audi app to the CAMS charging network, which currently has 912 HPCs and over 8,200 other charging points in 135 Chinese cities, as well as 250,000 public charging points from selected third-party operators.
“Audi believes that premium should go beyond the car. The Audi Charging Stations are the latest example of Audi’s commitment to provide a premium customer journey to our Chinese users,” said Audi China President Dr Jürgen Unser. “In the e-mobility era, we must offer our customers more than just a premium product, we have to offer an entire premium ecosystem, with charging as the core.”
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