e-den: charging the car in style

What can drivers do in the meantime? What amenities will charging stations of the future have to offer? These were the questions Audi asked when starting to develop the design of the charging station the brand brought together with the e-tron Spyder to the 2010 Design Miami Show. As electric cars take more time to charge than simply filling up with gasoline or diesel, the idea is to offer a more playful look at this aspect.

Called e-den, the futuristic service station was created to be a wellness oasis. Inside, the filling station has some amenities to provide including a cafe and lounge, with a menu that contemplates organic foods and healthy beverages.

Designed to be like a living room, the lounge features comfortable furniture and a large well-stocked bookcase. A perch bar overlooks the charging area where customers can plug in their laptops.

The e-den station was designed by Munich-based graphic design studio Mirko Borsche and is dominated by reflective glass that mirrors the resplendent Audi e-tron Spyder, a study in electric vehicle design. The design also takes inspiration from the 1950s American gas station, with an old gasoline pump encased in glass like a museum piece.

“Our aim in creating this installation is to heighten the public’s awareness of the wide range of challenges electromobility presents. And we provide food for thought – not just about electric vehicles themselves, but also about the infrastructure that will have to be created to support electric mobility”, says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Audi Board of Management for Marketing and Sales.

According to graphic designer Mirko Borsche the car, and in this case the e-tron Spyder, remain as centerpiece. “I staged the Audi e-tron Spyder as a vision. What is so amazing here is the contrast between the cozy interior and the futuristic reflections of the exterior, creating a dynamic interplay that can be experienced on a personal level”

Wava Carpenter, Acting Director Design Miami: "Design is the art form aimed at imagining a better, richer, more comfortable everyday life. Today we find the most compelling design work stretches farthest in imagining a better future. Audi’s proposal for a gasoline-less filling station for electric cars being shown at Design Miami/ is a perfect example of this.”