Porsche opens new ‘Charging Lounge’ to add glamour to the EV experience

Porsche has opened its first ‘Charging Lounge’, which aims to provide a more luxurious feel to the electric car experience.

Located in Germany, the ‘Charging Lounge’ is available to drivers of electric and hybrid Porsche models, and looks to offer a ‘state-of-the-art’ method of charging an EV.

Currently, many electric car charging stations are located in car parks or motorway service stations, but Porsche is looking to make a more premium experience for EV owners with its new Lounges.

Open 24 hours a day, the pilot site – located just outside Bingen am Rhein, 40 miles east of Frankfurt – features toilet facilities, as well as refreshments. Wi-Fi is also provided, while there is also a gym area where ‘workouts can done to keep the driver fit for the journey ahead’.

The first Lounge features six 300kW chargers, which are capable of charging the battery of Porsche’s electric Taycan from five to 80 per cent in around 23 minutes, as well as four slower chargers for plug-in hybrid models.

Oliver Blume, chairman of Porsche, said: “Porsche has mapped out an ambitious path towards electrification. By 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.

“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 existing network.”

The cost of charging is billed directly to the car, with a Porsche ID account needed to access the charging stations and lounge.

Porsche is only the second car firm after Tesla that is looking to establish its own charging locations. While this first site is said to be a pilot, the firm says it is planning further lounges in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.