So, Felix Neureuther, you’ve seen the place, what’s your verdict? “It’s sensational. The Audi charging hub looks great, there are fast charging stations, and they’ve used second-life batteries, too. It doesn’t even cost that much. All in all, it’s a really neat concept.”

A day in September at the new Audi charging hub in Munich. Audi brand ambassador Felix Neureuther has come to the opening ceremony. The former professional skier has been driving all-electric cars for years (“I try to minimise my CO₂ footprint whenever possible.”) and charges his Audi e-tron with solar panels installed on the roof of his own house (“When the sun is shining, the electricity from the roof virtually flows directly into the car’s battery. Don’t you just love that?”)

When he is on the road, he opts for HPC fast-charging stations, because: “Time is our most valuable commodity. When you plan your journey, you also look for the fastest route. That’s why I like to use the fastest charging option on the way.” Germany’s best-known ski racer adds: "But then again, I don’t want to be stressed out when I need to charge my car. Here at the Audi charging hub, it’s really very straightforward.”

These are the facts about straightforward charging at the Audi charging hub in Munich: Four fast charging points offer a constant charging power of up to 320 kilowatts (kW) using PowerCubes made from used lithium-ion batteries from former research vehicles, serving as buffer storage in their second life.

Electric cars of all makes can also be charged at this Audi charging hub. Audi drivers, however, will benefit from special offers. Depending on their charging contract, they will be charged from 0.35 euros per kWh (as of October 2023) and can book one of the four charging points in advance via smartphone and the myAudi app. Drivers of other vehicle makes will be charged 0.50 euros per kWh for the ad-hoc charging option (as of October 2023), payable either by credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

The Zielstattstraße, where the hub is located, lies in Munich’s Obersendling district and is situated in a mixed residential and commercial area with numerous attractive shops, restaurants and cafés as well as sports and leisure facilities.

Felix Neureuther is truly impressed: “I love that I can make good use of my time while my car is charging; I can do my shopping here or take the kids to the playground at the nearby beer garden. Especially when travelling with the family, it’s wonderful to let the kids get their wiggles out during the charging time. Afterwards, you can continue on your journey twice as relaxed. I know what I’m talking about, our kids are still small, and they really need to move around.”

The location of the charging park in Munich is attractive in yet another aspect. It happens to be on the way from the north of Germany to the mountains in the south. So, if you want to travel past Munich to Austria or Italy, you will find the Audi charging hub 850 metres away from the southern ring road “Mittlerer Ring” (Heckenstallertunnel, exit Passauer Straße) – or as Garmisch resident Felix Neureuther puts it: “Less than five minutes from the end of ‘my’ Garmisch motorway. When you’re on your way to Garmisch for a skiing or hiking trip, you can charge up the car and fill your lunch bag here.” He gives us his typical mischievous smile and climbs into his all-electric Audi to set off for home. Spoiler alert: He only pretended to charge his car for the photo. The Audi can easily cover the distance from Garmisch to Munich and back on a single charge!