Lidl wants to make loading easier via app

The food discount retailer Lidl continues to invest in its charging infrastructure and aims to make charging electric vehicles at its stations in Germany more convenient with the help of an app. With the new eCharge app, available from early February in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, customers can quickly locate the nearest available Lidl charging station on an interactive map. There is also the option to filter by charging stations with specific power ratings. Additionally, from mid-February 2021, the app will be required to initiate the charging process in Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and Bremen, as well as in parts of Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, and Thuringia, the food retailer adds. To do so, users simply need to scan the QR code on the station using the eCharge app. Furthermore, the app offers users a detailed overview of all charging sessions initiated via the app.

For customers to use the app, a one-time registration is necessary. Moreover, the discount retailer has set up its own service hotline for its charging stations, which also handles reports of malfunctions and questions about "Charging at Lidl." Currently, customers can charge their vehicles for free for one hour during opening hours at over 320 locations in Germany. The company announced that it will continue to expand the charging station network in the future.