VW has given a glimpse of a new idea designed to combat the problem of not being able to find a charging point for an electric vehicle. It has developed mobile charging stations which act like a power bank for a portable device and can offer new levels of charging flexibility.

The mobile quick charging station can be set up flexibly and independent of the power supply wherever it is needed, for example, in public car parks, on company premises, or as a temporary charging point at large-scale events. It works according to the principle of a power bank and has the charging capacity of up to 360 kWh to enable up to 15 e-vehicles to be charged in stand-alone operation. The charging process takes 17 minutes on average.

The first mobile quick charging stations will be set up as early as the first half of 2019 in Volkswagen’s hometown as part of a pilot project, and will support the expansion of a charging infrastructure in the urban area

Thomas Schmall, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Components, says: “The mobile charging stations are a decisive step toward an efficient network of charging points. They can be set up anywhere as required – with or without connection to the power supply. This flexibility enables a completely new approach for the rapid expansion of the charging infrastructure. Cities can, for example, find out the most suitable places for a permanent charging point before making major investments in developing the network. In addition, it will be possible to set up a large number of charging stations temporarily exactly when and where they are needed.”