Porsche’s New EV Charging Station in Germany Comes With a Luxe Lounge

Rachel Cormack

Porsche has decided drivers should be able to juice up EVs in luxury.

The German marque is rolling out its own network of upscale charging stations across Europe. The first Porsche Charging Lounge opened outside the town of Bingen am Rhein in Germany last Thursday, with further outposts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to follow.

The pilot site, which is located two minutes from motorway junction A60/A61, has been equipped with six 300 kW DC fast-charging stations and four 22 kW AC charging points. (Porsche says even speedier 400 kW fast chargers may also be added by the start of next year.) Manufactured by Italian electronic specialist Alpitronic, the chargers will be able to supply power to all of Porsche’s electric and hybrid models.

Geared toward discerning Porsche drivers, the network will showcase top-tier design, tech, and service for which the nameplate is renowned. The sleek, contemporary lounges will features floor-to-ceiling glazing to create a smooth transition between the inside world and out. (It also means you can keep an eye on your Taycan.)

The interior is decked out with bright colors and light woods that together promote a sense of well-being, according to the automaker. Drivers can refuel with soft drinks and snacks or freshen up in the bathrooms. The lounge even has a smart mirror if you want to squeeze a workout in before jumping back behind the wheel. You can also enjoy Wi-Fi, interactive Porsche content, and an array of media.

The lounge will be open 24/7, but a Porsche ID is required to access it and the charging stations. Drivers with number plates that are already stored in the system will get access automatically. Alternatively, you can use a Porsche Charging Card or a QR code from the MyPorsche app to access the site.

To top it off, Porsche says the charging processes use power from certified renewable sources. The first lounge is heated and air-conditioned by a heat pump that operates without fossil fuels, too. The building generates part of the required electricity via rooftop solar panels. It also optimizes power consumption by automatically dimming the lighting when there are no guests, for example.

“2030 we want over 80 percent of the cars that we deliver to be all-electric,” Oliver Blume, chairman of Porsche’s executive board, said in a statement. “This ambitious ramp-up requires a high-performance and dense fast-charging network.”

The existing network currently comprises more than 436,000 charging points in over 20 European countries. Mercedes-Benz has also announced it will launch a high-power EV charging network later this year and hopes to have 400 locations open by 2027. The race is on.