In cooperation with Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever, COBE has designed a new type of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in Scandinavia. The stations not only promise to recharge a vehicle in just 15 minutes, but also offer drivers and passengers a welcome break and the chance to recharge their own mental batteries while the car is being powered up.
The new charging station is centrally located on the E20 motorway in the Danish city of Fredericia. The first of its kind, it is part of an upcoming network of 48 ultra-fast EV charging stations along Scandinavian highways.
The charging stations consist of a series of structural “trees”. They feature canopies much like the crowns of trees that filter and offer shade and protection from the elements while defining a green setting and a calming atmosphere. A wild contrast to a traditional gas station where lines of vehicles and the smells of gas fumes and car exhaust are the norm.
Thanks to a modular design concept the stations are scalable, so a single “tree” can easily become an entire “grove” depending on the need. The stations are constructed in certified wood and concrete, topped by solar panels and surrounded by actual trees, grass and other plantings selected in cooperation with the Danish Society for Nature Conservation with the aim of enhancing biodiversity around the station. All components of the construction can be broken down into usable and recyclable materials and the choice of wood as a building material further emphasizes the building’s sustainable design.
The first of the ultra-fast charging stations offer a relaxed experience in nature with a capacity of recharging four EVs simultaneously. The Fredericia charging station is constructed as a grove of 12 “trees” with a total crown of 400-m2, rendered in a mix of open and closed roof panels. The goal is for both the new and the coming charging stations to offer users a pleasant, restful and Zen-like feel that may even, hopefully, make the roads safer.
Design and info © COBE
Images © Rasmus Hjortshøj (COAST)
