Combining charging time with experiences
Spending the charging time of an electric car on a beautiful journey at a motorway service station in the middle of nowhere can be a bit of a downer. Recognising the problem, Audi came up with the Audi charge and explore service. By seamlessly planning charging stops in combination with the driver’s favourite activities, every long-distance journey in an electric vehicle becomes an experience. “Our research shows that 80 per cent of Audi customers surveyed felt that charging on long journeys was a waste of time,” reports Laura Liebig, Head of Digital Services eMobility at Audi Business Innovation, the company developing the service. “And they are often not happy with the infrastructure around the charging points.”
That’s why Audi charge and explore does not only answer the question “Where is the charging point and what power does it deliver?”, but above all “What do I want to experience during my charging break?”. You can choose from a wide range of categories – Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés and Bakeries, Fast Food and Service Stations, Culture and Sightseeing, Walking and Leisure – along the route, at your current whereabouts or at your location of choice. Laura Liebig: “It’s no longer the charging points that determine the route, but the experience.” This is because the service’s algorithm may select more suitable charging points – as they are closer to the selected walk or restaurant – than those initially suggested by the route planner. So, when you travel by electric car, you don’t always follow the maxim “the journey is the destination”, but with Audi charge and explore it’s rather: The charging experience is the journey.
The developers of digital mobility experiences
The service Audi charge and explore was developed at Audi Business Innovation GmbH. Founded in 2013, this unit is a wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG and plays a key role in shaping the current digital transformation in the automotive industry. It analyses the requirements and demands of current and future customers and develops suitable digital solutions and innovations. The expertise of Audi Business Innovation GmbH ranges from trend analyses and the development of digital, customer-centric services and business models to their implementation along the entire value chain. Audi Business Innovation GmbH is based in Munich.
Three steps to a personalised charging experience:
The charging stop
Plan your charging stop according to your individual preferences. Charging stations will be selected according to your planning preferences and are then included in the route.
The experience
Discover a variety of restaurants, cafés, leisure activities and more near the charging stations. Choose your favourite experience for your charging break.
The optimal route
The system will calculate the ideal route, taking into account your selected experiences and preferences. Make your charging break the highlight of your journey.
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Audi charge and explore selects the appropriate charging points on the route, so that you can pursue your favourite activities in their immediate vicinity.
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Three options: Charging stations offering additional experiences can be discovered – along the route, at your current whereabouts or at your location of choice.
Here’s how easy Audi charge and explore works
- Download the Audi stage app (you can access Audi charge and explore through the app) and log in using your Audi ID. The app then recognises your Audi vehicle.
- Plan and combine your charging breaks with additional experiences – along the route, at your current whereabouts or at your location of choice.
- Enter your personal settings such as departure time or charging capacity to plan the ideal route.
- Select an experience from categories such as: Restaurants, Cafés and Bakeries, Fast Food and Service Stations, Culture and Sightseeing, Walking, Shopping.
- The system will provide combinations of the selected experience and charging point with the desired charging power along the route. Choose your preferences, confirm and send to the navigation system in the vehicle.
“It’s no longer the charging points on long journeys that determine the route, but the experience.”
