The success of electric mobility depends on three things: cars with a long-range, a fast way to charge the high-voltage battery, and easy access to a dense network of charging points. The Audi Charging service will begin in 27 European countries on January 1, 2023, and the number of countries will grow during the year. So, the service gives you access to about 400,000 charging spots run by more than 800 different companies. The network also has about 1,900 High Power Chargers (HPC) from IONITY. These chargers can charge with up to 350 kW and are mostly located along the main roads.
Audi and Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH are working together on the charging service, which will replace the Audi e-tron Charging Service, which was started by the brand when the first fully electric models came out about four years ago. If you buy a new Audi electric car or switch from the e-tron Charging Service to Audi Charging, you can choose from three different rates.
The pro tariff is primarily for people who drive electric cars and need to charge them while on the go. The pro-tariff costs 15.46 Euros per month. For example, it lets you charge your electric car at Ionity fast charging for only 0.36 Euro per kWh.
If you buy a new Audi electric car, Audi will cover the basic price of the pro-tariff for the first year, just like it did with the original Audi e-tron Charging service for the first year. But even with the basic price, the pro tariff can be cheaper than the other two if you need to charge using a public charging station more than 35 kWh per month. This is the same as one average charge at an IONITY charging station.
If you only need to charge at public charging stations once in a while, you can get the plus tariff for a base price of 8.07 Euros per month. Then you get low prices at both AC and DC charging stations, and it pays off if you charge at least 48 kWh per month at a DC station.
If you don't need to charge your phone in public very often, you can choose the basic tariff, which doesn't have a monthly base price. Here, the price per kWh is higher, but the tariff still gives you full access to the charging network across Europe. As with the other tariffs, you can use all the comfort features that come with Audi charging. So, the basic tariff is good for people who charge their car at home and only need a simple way to charge their car when they are on the go and don't want to make fixed monthly payments.
When charging in another country, the prices for that country apply, so electric car owners already have a good idea of how much it will cost to charge before they go.
As with the Audi e-tron Charging Service, the charging points for Audi charging are built into the car's navigation system. This lets you choose Audi charging points when planning to charge on a longer trip. You can also turn on the charging stations and start charging with the Audi charging card (RFID card; RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification) or the myAudi app.
The Plug & Charge feature is even more convenient, which is already available at IONITY charging stations and will eventually be available at stations from other companies. When the feature is turned on for the first time in the car, all you have to do to start charging is plug in the charging cable. The electric car and the charging station set up a secure connection, and payment is made using the payment method stored in the myAudi app, such as a credit card. Shortly after the market launch, Plug & Charge will be available in the new Audi charging network.
In the myAudi app, you can manage your Audi charging agreement. For example, you can change the rate of your contract. The app also shows the prices at the chosen charging station and gives an overview of all charging.
