Designworks has recently installed a new charging park in front of the BMW Welt (BMW’s headquarters) in Munich. The charging stations, which resemble minimalist trees, feature an LED lighting display to visualize the charging process.

BMW operates a large and prominent site in Munich with BMW Welt, which serves as an exhibition, experience, and delivery center. It’s situated right in front of the iconic ‘four-cylinder’ building, BMW’s worldwide headquarters.

Recently, eight new public charging stations, each with a capacity of up to 400 kW, have been installed on the outdoor premises. These stations combine “futuristic design with high-performance charging technology,” as BMW describes them.

A tree story

More precisely, the chargers are so-called Charging Trees, capable of delivering up to 400 kW of power. The stations were developed in collaboration with Designworks, the innovation studio of the BMW Group. The units are equipped with sensors, among other features, to detect approaching vehicles.

The chargers are accessible around the clock. As the newly released images show, night-time charging is particularly striking aesthetically. BMW describes it as “a touch of tech magic.” According to an earlier statement from BMW, existing trees were also integrated into the planning of the charging area, and a small parking area with flowering plants was created to surround the charging points.

Entertainment provided

Access to the chargers is via a narrow one-way street. While charging, visitors can explore four restaurants, exhibitions featuring BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad, and the recently opened Neue Klasse area, which features the BMW iX3.

Payment at the Charging Trees can be made by credit card or via NFC. For longer stays, BMW states that around 100 additional but less visually striking charging points, each offering up to 22 kW, are available in the site’s underground car park.