The expansion of e-mobility in Germany is in full swing, with new record numbers of e-car registrations reported every month. However, the mobility transition can only be successful if additional charging stations are provided at the same speed. ORLEN Deutschland accepts this challenge and wants to present its future e-charging parks not only in an innovative design, but also to meet the ever-changing needs of customers and target groups. That’s why the Elmshorn-based company is announcing the Innovation Award “The E-Charging Hub of the Future”. ORLEN Deutschland, an operator of over 600 ORLEN and star petrol stations across Germany, is underscoring its strategic goal of expanding electromobility in its own network by 2025.
ORLEN Charge is the electric mobility brand of ORLEN Deutschland. In the future, e-loading hubs will also be operated under this name on new open spaces, and the company is looking for special inspirational ideas for this. That is why the company is awarding a prize for innovation for the first time in the year that marks its 20th anniversary.
Ideas and concepts are being sought after that completely rethink the topic of “e-charging hubs” and take into account the different customer perspectives on the one hand and an attractive, user-friendly architectural design on the other. What additional services do e-car drivers need while the vehicle is charging? How can different target groups benefit when visiting the e-charging park? And what innovative designs and architectural innovations could make the e-charging hub of the future stand out? All of these questions and challenges should be reflected in the concepts and ideas of the participants without any major specifications or conditions.
It is also an option to focus on a partial aspect of an e-charging hub and, for example, to concentrate primarily on the architectural design and the design of the hub or on the services offered. Alternatively, the focus could be on the target group, meaning that the e-charging hub of the future is developed from the perspective of a business traveller, a family, or for people with limited mobility. The ORLEN Innovation Award is aimed at creative innovators, bold thinkers, futuristic designers, savvy founders, as well as students from a variety of disciplines who don’t necessarily have a connection to the petrol station industry. The application period for the award, for which ORLEN designed an own logo (left), starts on 11 September and ends on 31 December, 2023.
Total prize money of €40,000 awaits the three winners. (1st place: €25,000, 2nd place: €10,000, 3rd place: €5,000).
“With our Innovation Award, we aim to encourage people to actively participate in the transformation of mobility. Everyone is affected by it and has their own ideas and wishes about how it should be implemented. With the Innovation Award, we are hoping for ideas that will give our future e-charging hubs a unique character, while being not only innovative in design, but also taking into account the different customer needs and target groups,” says Jarosław Marczak, CEO of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH.
The entries will be reviewed and evaluated by a top-class jury. Jury members include Jarosław Marczak, CEO of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH, Rainer Wiek, Editor-in-Chief of Tankstellenwelt, Laura Gehlhaar, Mediator and Coach for Inclusion and Accessibility, and Hans-Jörn Arp, CDU former Member of the State Parliament for Schleswig-Holstein. The jury sessions will take place after the application deadline in early 2024, with the announcement of the winners scheduled to take place in spring.
For more information on “The E-Charging Hub of the Future” Innovation Award, as well as a detailed mission statement, tender documents, a timetable and much more, visit
www.star.de/innovationspreis
star and ORLEN – the petrol stations of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH was founded in March 2003. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Polish multi-energy corporation ORLEN S.A. and part of the international ORLEN Group. The company currently operates over 600 star and ORLEN petrol stations on the German market. ORLEN Deutschland GmbH, based in Elmshorn, is one of the ten largest petrol station operators in Germany and has been the main sponsor of German handball record champion THW Kiel since 2016.
star and ORLEN petrol stations offer quality fuels as well as their own brand products at an attractive price-performance ratio. Customers also benefit from the B2B-fleet-card and receive additional services such as car washing and parcel services at many stations. Filling stations with 'star café' and 'stop.café' invite you to take breaks in a feel-good atmosphere and offer coffee specialities, a large selection of tasty meals and hot and cold snacks all day long.
Press contact:
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
Klaus-Peter Dittrich
Manager Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49-41214750-1768
ORLEN Innovation Award contact:
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
Katrin Müller
Managerin Corporate Communications
Tel: +49-4121-47501773