The publicly accessible charging park is located at the EnBW headquarters at the intersection of Gerwigstrasse and Ostring in the Oststadt district of Karlsruhe. The twelve initial high-power charging points can be expanded to up to 20. In this way, EnBW has met the schedule it announced when construction began in June, when commissioning was scheduled for autumn.
One notable feature is the charging hardware used. EnBW is using the new generation C7 fast charger from XCharge with up to 480 kW in normal operation for the first time in normal operation at its headquarters in Karlsruhe.
EnBW had already announced the Karlsruhe charging park as its first own site with a charging capacity of up to 480 kW in June, although it did not mention the name of the manufacturer at the time. Shortly after, XCharge announced that the updated C7 would be used on the site. Until now, the maximum charging power of the fast chargers deployed in the EnBW network was 400 kW.
From ten test chargers to the launch of 480 kW
The installation in Karlsruhe follows a longer test phase of the XCharge technology at EnBW. In August 2025, the first C7 went into real-world operation in the EnBW city of Stuttgart. In December, the field test was expanded to a total of ten XCharge fast chargers at four locations in Baden-Württemberg. At that time they generated up to 400 kW of power.
In early 2026, EnBW and charging infrastructure manufacturer XCharge signed a long-term framework agreement. This followed field testing, which included more than 20,000 charging sessions. In March, however, the focus was still said to be on 400 kW fast chargers “and potentially more.” In June, XCharge finally introduced the updated C7 with charging power of up to 480 kW.
“With the new C7, we have introduced a product to the European market that reliably meets the demanding technical requirements of charging network operators and their customers,” said XCharge Europe Director Albina Iljasov. “The new 480 kW charging technology will be mainly deployed in places where customers typically spend little time and want to add as much range as possible during their stop, for example in EnBW’s fast charging parks along Germany’s main highways,” adds Lars Jacobs, Chief Commercial Officer and Acting Technical Head of EnBW’s e-mobility division.
In addition, EnBW plans to equip a “double-digit” number of fast charging parks with the 480 kW technology until the end of 2026. However, the energy company has not yet named any specific additional locations.
A reference site for construction and operation
The new XCharge hardware is just one aspect of what is intended to make Karlsruhe a reference charging park. EnBW also wants to test new solutions for the construction and operation of charging parks there. Its location directly next to the company’s headquarters and its charging laboratory is useful for this: the new charging technology can first be tested under laboratory conditions and then operated under real conditions in the publicly accessible charging park.
EnBW also takes a different approach to site design. According to the company, the new canopy is largely made from sustainably certified wood. When construction began in June, EnBW announced a partial roof with a photovoltaic capacity of 16 kWp. As the company said electricthis has also been implemented. Therefore, the glass canopy with integrated photovoltaic modules that is normally associated with EnBW is not used here.
The construction site itself also served as a test bed. According to EnBW, electric construction machinery and machines powered by alternative fuels were used. A local solar and storage system supplied electricity to parts of the work. According to general contractor Leonhard Weiss, this saved up to 50 tons of CO2 compared to a conventionally operated construction site.
More than just charging
The reference concept also includes the design of the load switch. The site is accessible 24 hours a day and has automated toilet facilities, as well as vending machines for drinks, coffee and snacks. There are also seating areas. In the future, the installation of a pizza vending machine is planned.
Therefore, the site is not intended to be solely a test bed for new charging technologies. In Karlsruhe, EnBW also wants to gain experience in the design of charging points and additional equipment. However, these facilities are not completely new for the company: EnBW already operates small Rewe-to-go stores in some locations, while toilet facilities are also available in other charging parks.
Further expansion
According to the company, EnBW currently operates more than 9,000 of its own fast charging points in Germany. When the XCharge framework agreement was announced in early March, the number was still over 8,000. And the expansion will continue. EnBW says it is systematically expanding its fast charging network in line with demand, aiming to provide up to 20 percent of the fast charging points needed in Germany by 2030.
globalnewswire.com, enbw.com (charging flagship site, in German), enbw.com (XCharge, in German)
