Audi reveals fuel station of the future

This is the shape of fuel stations of the future if Audi is to be believed.

The 'e-den' charging station for electric vehicles commissioned by Audi and produced by Munich-based studio Mirko Borsche is being shown at this month's Design Miami exhibition.

The theory behind the design is that drivers of electric cars can't just pull in and fill up their car in a matter of minutes, as drivers of fossil fuel-powered cars can.

Instead, they will need to allow a little longer for 'refuelling', and may need a place in which to work, eat or recharge their own batteries while they wait.

As a result, the interior of the installation which is designed as a futuristic reinterpretation of a 1950s American filling station is warm and homely, with calm-inducing plants and wood furniture. Here, drivers can enjoy the food, magazines and books on offer.

'Our aim in creating this installation is to heighten the public's awareness of the wide range of challenges that electromobility presents. 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,' said Peter Schwarzenbauer of Audi.

The centrepiece of the display is Audi's e-tron Spyder sports car design study first shown at this year's Paris motor show. However, this will not be the first all-electric Audi car to go in to production; that honour belongs to the R8 e-tron, which is to be introduced in 2012.