You generally pay for what you get in the world of motoring, the more money you pay for your car, the faster it can drive and the more exclusive it might feel. But when it comes to public charging all cars are equal, or are they?
Tesla trialled the prospect of making their network of superchargers only available to Tesla owners, though they have now extended that invitation to other brands, but now Porsche have revealed that they are considering an exclusive network.
In order to encourage ‘fast travelling’ and allow drivers to travel without range or charger anxiety, the German brand is to build a network of 100 charging stations across Europe, and the only vehicles which will have access are those in the Volkswagen premium group, which includes Audi and Bentley.
“It’s not like Tesla; it’s not exclusive. But to use it, you have to book it on the app,” said Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark.
“If you’ve got an EV, you've probably got a charger at home and at your place at work. The big problem is transient charging. On a thrash, you’re going to have to charge it once or twice,” Hallmark said.
The Bentley CEO suggests that having access to a charger will not be the only benefit that the Porsche network will offer, they will also guarantee sustainable electricity is pumped in.
“For me, if you don’t buy green energy to charge your car, you might as well buy a 12-cylinder,” Hallmark said. “You’ve got to contract renewable energy.”
Audi is making its own inroads into the exclusive charging network, they’ve already opened a charging point with a lounge and toilets in Nuremberg and expect to have another in Zurich, followed by two more before the end of the year.