Smatrics EnBW opens its first HPC charging park in Vorarlberg

Smatrics EnBW has opened its first fast-charging park in Vorarlberg at Rankweil. The facility near A14 offers eight charging stations with up to 400 kW of power. This brings the operator’s fast-charging network to all nine Austrian states.

The new charging park is located at Maut 4 in Rankweil, just a few minutes’ drive from the Feldkirch Nord exit on the A14 Rheintal motorway. It is designed to serve both electric vehicle owners in the region and commuters and travelers between Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

In total, eight HPC charging stations with a capacity of up to 400 kW are available. According to the operator, electric vehicles with sufficient power should be able to gain up to 400 kilometers of range in 15 minutes using these stations. The location is accessible around the clock and, like all fast charging stations operated by Smatrics EnBW in Austria, is powered by electricity from renewable sources. The facility also includes lighting, signage, and soundproof walls. Various shopping and service options are available in the immediate vicinity. Smatrics EnBW states that it deliberately chooses locations where charging can be combined with other activities.

"The ultra-fast charging park in Rankweil demonstrates what future-ready electric vehicle charging infrastructure looks like: vehicles are charged where people already gather—near shopping areas and key transportation hubs," says Thomas Landsbek, head of Smatrics EnBW. With Rankweil, the operator also fills a geographical gap in its charging network across Austria. Vorarlberg had been the only state without its own Smatrics EnBW HPC location. Now, the company has ultra-fast charging infrastructure in all nine federal states.

The new location is part of a larger expansion strategy in Austria. By the end of the second quarter of 2026, Smatrics EnBW operated 743 HPC charging points nationwide. Alone between April and June, 60 new connections were added at ten locations. In addition to major traffic routes, a focus is placed on supermarkets, shopping centers, and home improvement stores: the number of charging points at such locations has nearly increased fivefold within two and a half years.

By the end of 2026, Smatrics EnBW aims to expand its Austrian network to over 900 ultra-fast charging points. The eight new connections in Rankweil are another step toward that goal.