“Perfect for an impressive test drive”: Zurich Airport’s interest in electromobility

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Anyone who has wandered around the grounds of Zurich Airport before flying on holiday can’t believe how simple the airport looked when it opened in 1948. At that time, Zurich-Kloten was still quite functional; It carried no more than 500 passengers a day and accommodated passengers in makeshift barracks.

Today, exactly 75 years after the opening, it is a completely different picture: On busy days, more than 100,000 passengers travel through the Zurich hub, 200 times more than in 1948. a has become a giant business center with 300 companies and more than 30,000 employees. “During these 75 years, Zurich Airport has become the most important international traffic hub in Switzerland,” said airport spokeswoman Elena Stern.

Gate E for electromobility

But the airport has long become very important for the non-traveling population: since the opening of the Airside Center in 2004 and the new airport district Circle in 2020, Zurich Airport now has around 144 shops and 59 restaurants and bars. as well as hotels and a fitness centre, a congress centre, a subsidiary of the University Hospital Zurich and numerous corporate offices. “Apart from the main aviation and real estate sector, the commercial sector has also become increasingly important,” says Elena Stern. “Zurich Airport is now a business, commercial hub, travel destination and meeting place.”

This offer is completed by the square in the Circle, the electromobility experience world of AMAG Import, Switzerland’s largest car dealer. In addition to electric vehicles from Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, CUPRA and VW commercial vehicle brands, information on topics such as range, charging, alternative energies, suitability for daily use and safety are presented in a comfortable environment. There is a gap in the market, as Peter Schmid, President of AMAG and the New Mobility Center on the square, has identified. “Our dealers and salespeople initially had little expertise in electromobility. The electric car was quickly announced, but the entire ecosystem turned out to be much more complex. We recognized this need and created an e-mobility competence center.”

As Schmid emphasizes, knowledge and experience are the focal point in the market, without sales pressure. The venue sees itself as a gateway to e-mobility, where visitors can immerse themselves by asking questions and also voicing their concerns on the subject. “Many interested parties want to know whether electric vehicles are really more ecological than vehicles with internal combustion engines. Or how route planning works. And what charging stations abroad look like,” says Schmid. Myths about e-mobility persist, such as insufficient range or endless charging times.

“We spend a lot of time answering these questions. We can often give examples from our own experience.” Schmid says that everything new and unknown in the world of electronics requires some effort. “We eliminate these barriers by providing access, welcoming interested parties with openness and, if desired, accompanying them on a non-binding test drive where we explain the vehicle immediately.”

The square is also important for the airport.

Schmid says the square is primarily aimed at drivers who are considering switching to electric mobility. However, passengers traveling to and from the airport also arrived regularly. He describes the location at the airport as serendipitous. «The Circle is a modern, urban environment. Electromobility is a perfect fit. “We are also in an ideal position for an impressive and diverse test drive.”

On the other hand, as spokesperson Elena Stern emphasizes, the competence center for sustainable mobility is also important for the airport. “Electromobility is playing an increasingly important role for us. Growing market shares of electric cars could mean that more than half of journeys to and from the airport could be made by an electric vehicle within a decade or so. The airport currently has approximately 60 public charging stations for passengers, visitors and employees, as well as many charging stations for tenants. There is also a fast charging center in a central location.

In the future, the charging offer will be continuously expanded as needed to be prepared for all people checking in for electromobility at the airport square and elsewhere.

Source: Blick