Many renters are reluctant to switch to an electric car or a plug-in hybrid. Problem: No charging options. Either because charging stations have not yet been installed in the underground car parks of the old apartment blocks or because they have to park on the street.
Swiss auto importer Amag (Audi, Cupra, Seat, Skoda, VW) is taking action and offering a solution to tenants in the city of Zurich. Because Amag also operates multi-storey car parks, and this summer it turned three of them into what it calls loading houses. Numerous parking spaces are equipped with charging stations for electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
61 charging stations
After the Utoquai and Kongress locations, the third loading room was put into operation at Messe Zurich. Of the more than 2,000 parking spaces next to Hallenstadion, 61 are currently equipped with charging stations. Amag plans to increase this number further as demand grows.
Amag offers a variety of rental models for long-term and part-time tenants. These include fixed price offers that include electricity. The charging process is started with the parking card, which also provides access to the parking lot. The offer is intended for private individuals and companies. However, tenants do not have a fixed parking space and have to look for a free charging station.
Test phase started
With the new rental offer, the vehicle importer wants to make better use of the car parks, especially at night and on weekends. Flat rate subscriptions for these off-peak times start at CHF 195 per month, while long-term parkers pay a minimum of CHF 235 per month. An overview of all subscriptions can be found online at parking.amag.ch.
Amag begins a testing phase with three charging stations in Zurich. Other parking lots in other cities will be equipped with significantly more charging stations later on. Amag has a total of seven car parks in Zurich and one each in Bern, Cham ZG, Olten SO and Schaffhausen.