Vodafone creates augmented reality app for Audi customers

As we move towards an electric future, the demands on our charging infrastructure continue to increase. Research shows that we need up to 6.8 million public charging points by 2030 in order to reach the EU’s proposed 55% CO2 reduction for passenger cars[1].

Audi is ahead of the game. It already offers its customers a premium e-charging experience with hubs across some of Germany’s key cities.

Bringing charging stations into urban areas not only offers electric car users an alternative to home charging stations but it also helps alleviate range anxiety – where drivers fear their battery is going to run flat while they are out and about.

Giving customers a premium service

Working together, we’ve developed an interactive augmented reality (AR) app to take the customer experience at Audi’s Nuremberg location to the next level.

The Audi charging hub in Nuremberg offers guests a premium charging experience. There are several workstations, a bookable meeting room, a terrace and a lounge area in which customers can relax. Snacks and hot drinks are available and dashboards on numerous screens transmit live information from the six charging points.

Now, using our interactive app via their smartphones, customers can get information about the services, offers and functions at the hub. They will also be able to find their way around the site much more easily as the app allows a virtual view of the Audi charging hub.

Using the images detected by the phone’s camera and a three-dimensional scan of the environment, the app recognises what the guest is looking at and can overlay additional digital information – almost like a 'digital concierge'.

This is possible thanks to the low-latency and reliability of our 5G network. With this type of mobile network, information can be transmitted in real-time seamlessly linking the real world to the digital one.

Experimenting with 5G

Responsible for the development of the AR app for the Audi charging hub is the 'XR Factory' from Vodafone's business customer division with its AR/XR developer team at the Vodafone Tech Innovation Center Dresden, in which 5G and Mixed Reality specialists from IT, business and innovation work together across companies.

With our XR Factory, we are building needs-based applications for our customers that take advantage of the many benefits of 5G mobile technology.

Should the app prove successful, it will also be used at other Audi locations such as Salzburg, Berlin, Munich and Zurich, with the aim of turning charging time into quality time and offering guests an unparalleled service.

[1] European Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Masterplan - ACEA - European Automobile Manufacturers' Association