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Jul 25, 2023

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Porsche is planning to set up its own fast-charging stations along Europe’s most important routes, with a premium charging experience one expects of the brand. As a pilot site, the first Porsche

Porsche is planning to set up its own fast-charging stations along Europe’s most important routes, with a premium charging experience one expects of the brand. As a pilot site, the first Porsche Charging Lounge is opening today outside Bingen am Rhein. Just two minutes from motorway junction A60/A61, it offers six 300-kW DC fast-charging stations and four 22-kW AC charging points. Further Porsche Charging Lounges are currently planned for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Located close to busy routes with significant traffic flow, open 24/7, with very high charging performance, a comfortable ambience, and convenient, central billing of charging costs, the new Porsche Charging Lounges are perfectly tailored to the requirements of Porsche drivers on long journeys. Here, all electric and plug-in hybrid models from Porsche can be supplied with electricity at powerful chargers manufactured by South Tyrolean electronic specialist Alpitronic. The fast-charging stations currently provide a maximum of 300 kW but are capable of being upgraded to deliver even higher charging speeds. By the start of next year, 400 kW per charging point should be possible. The charging processes use power from certified renewable sources.

“Porsche has mapped out an ambitious path towards electrification. 2030 we want over 80 per cent of the cars that we deliver to be all-electric. This ambitious ramp-up requires a high-performance and dense fast-charging network,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “The exclusive Porsche Charging Lounges are making an important contribution to this. They are a barrier-free, sustainable and state-of-the-art addition to the IONITY network.”

The unique design of the exclusive fast-charging stations underlines their special character. The pilot site in Bingen provides a preview of how this design could look in the future. A slim roof that appears to float connects the charging points with the building. The lounge is glazed from floor to ceiling, creating a smooth transition between inside and outside. Bright colours and light wood provide an atmosphere that promotes a sense of well-being.

The first Porsche Charging Lounge in the world is heated and air-conditioned by a heat pump that operates without fossil fuels. Part of the required electricity is provided by the photovoltaic system of solar cells on the roof. The digital building management optimises power consumption, for example by automatically dimming the lighting when there are no guests.

To ensure a pleasant visit, there are modern sanitary facilities in the lounge area, as well as a large selection of soft drinks and snacks. Payments can be made with debit and credit cards as well as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Analogue and digital media and a high-performance WiFi network are also available. Workouts can be done in front of a smart mirror to keep the driver fit for the journey ahead. Interactive Porsche content can also be selected here.

The Porsche Charging Lounges are integrated in the Porsche Charging Service and are displayed in the navigation system. Central billing is handled by Porsche. Thanks to the Porsche Charging Service, the charging price of 33 cents per kilowatt hour is just as low as for other fast-charging stations in the Porsche network. A Porsche ID is required to access the charging stations and the lounge area. This ID must be linked to the car. If the number plate is stored in the Porsche ID, the barrier opens for you thanks to automatic number plate recognition. The car’s registration number can be stored conveniently in the MyPorsche app. Alternatively, the customer can use their Porsche Charging Card or a QR code from the MyPorsche app to access both the site and the lounge.

“With the Porsche Charging Lounge, we are creating another important touchpoint along the customer journey and showing how convenient charging can be for Porsche customers,” says Alexander Pollich, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche Deutschland GmbH. “We look forward to hearing our first feedback from customers on their experiences with this new format.”

The Porsche fast-charging stations are an addition to the comprehensive investments that the sports car manufacturer has made in recent years to drive the transition to battery-electric cars. The Porsche Charging Service enables access to the charging points of a range of providers all over the world. The network currently comprises more than 436,000 charging points in over 20 European countries. This includes almost 25,300 charging points with a charging capacity of over 150 kW DC, And more than 500 fast-charging sites in the IONITY network in Europe. Last year, Porsche participated in a further round of financing for this joint venture.

More than 600 Porsche dealerships have made a significant contribution to expanding the worldwide charging infrastructure network, with more than 1,000 high-performance charging points for customers being put into operation so far. China has an exclusive network with almost 300 charging points. In co-operation with various partners, more than 400 of these charging points have also been implemented in, for example, Spain, Italy, Korea, Japan and Brazil. In North America, Porsche uses the network of the Volkswagen Group of America. Electrify America currently offers more than 3,500 fast-charging points at more than 800 stations.

Porsche is also further expanding the infrastructure for AC charging – with Porsche Destination Charging. There are already more than 5,000 charging points in 86 countries, at luxury destinations particularly popular with Porsche customers. By the end of 2025, this number is expected to exceed 7,500. Chargers providing 22 kW instead of 11 kW are already being used at new locations in Europe. Existing stations will be gradually upgraded.