Mobility & charging hubs — information that waits

Standstill as an Opportunity: The New Quality of Dwell Time in Mobility

The mobility transition is manifesting itself not only in the powertrain, but in the architecture of our stopovers. Where refuelling processes used to be completed in three minutes, electromobility today necessitates system-related breaks. A rapid charging process at a High-Power-Charging (HPC) station takes between 20 and 45 minutes on average to raise the State of Charge (SoC) from 10 to 80 per cent. This time span transforms charging parks from mere transit points into semi-public lounge areas. For visual infrastructure, this signifies a paradigm shift: information must be present where the user waits. It is no longer about fleeting attention while driving past, but about engaging a “Captive Audience”.

The challenge for operators of charging hubs and mobility nodes lies in technical robustness and content relevance. A display at an HPC site is not a simple television in a housing. It is a highly integrated system that must withstand direct sunlight, thermal loads and vandalism 8,760 hours a year. At the same time, legal requirements such as the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG 2025 – GDPR for digital accessibility) and technical efficiency guidelines such as EU Regulation 2021/341 are becoming the focus of planning.

Technical Requirements: More than just Brightness

The installation of displays in outdoor areas (Outdoor Digital Signage) at charging locations is subject to extreme physical stress. While 350 to 500 nits (cd/m²) are usually sufficient for indoor use, outdoor screens at locations with direct sunlight require at least 2,500 to 4,000 nits to guarantee readability. Manufacturers such as LG with the XE series or Samsung with the OH series set industry standards here.

Protection Classes and Longevity

A decisive factor is protection against mechanical impact. The IK10 standard classifies protection against impacts with an energy of 20 joules. In urban spaces, this value is the minimum to avoid failures due to vandalism. This is flanked by IP65 or IP66 certification, which ensures that neither dust nor strong jets of water can penetrate the system.

However, the greatest technical hurdle remains thermal management. Displays in closed housings can heat up to over 70 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight. Conventional LCD panels react to this with the so-called blackening effect – the liquid crystals lose their alignment, resulting in black spots. High-temperature panels (e.g. from DynaScan) and active ventilation concepts or heat exchangers prevent this effect. When planning charging hubs, the waste heat from the power electronics of the charging stations, which are often installed in the direct vicinity of the displays, must also be taken into account.

The BFSG 2025: Accessibility Becomes Mandatory

From June 2025, the Barrier-Free Accessibility Act (BFSG) will take effect. This particularly affects self-service terminals, which include charging stations with payment functions and information terminals. Visual interfaces must be configured so that they can also be used by people with visual impairments or motor restrictions. In concrete terms, this means: high-contrast display, scalable fonts and operation at an ergonomically accessible height (usually between 70 cm and 120 cm above floor level). Anyone investing in infrastructure today must already specify these standards in the call for tenders to avoid expensive retrofitting.

Practical Example: The Urban HPC Hub

Let us consider a concrete scenario: An operator of a supermarket car park integrates six HPC charging points (300 kW) in conjunction with a 75-inch outdoor double-facing kiosk.

• Location: Vienna, retail car park with high frequency.
• Hardware: Samsung OH75-S with integrated HDBaseT receiver.
• Housing: Custom engineering by Lumexo, powder-coated stainless steel, IK10 glazing.
• Control System: BrightSign HD5 media player (Series 5), known for high thermal stability compared to PC-based systems.
• Connectivity: Integration into the “easescreen Crossfire” CMS via a 5G connection.

In this setting, the display serves two purposes: on the one hand, it provides information about the current charging status (SOC visualisation via API connection to the backend of the CPO – Charge Point Operator); on the other hand, DOOH content is played out via a split screen. Refinancing of the hardware occurs primarily through advertising revenue, while customer satisfaction increases due to clear process communication.

Interfaces and Integration: When Data Flows

A static USB stick in the display is no longer state-of-the-art in modern mobility hubs. Integration takes place via standardised protocols. The CMS must be able to process dynamic data fields.

1. OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol): To display charging status, occupancy data or fault messages in real time.
2. GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification): For mobility hubs that also offer public transport connections, to display departure times in real time.
3. Weather Data: To adapt content (e.g. promoting hot drinks at temperatures below 10 degrees).

DOOH in Charging Parks: Monetising “Charging Dwell Time”

The term Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is gaining a new quality through charging hubs. In contrast to classic billboard locations, where the contact time (dwell time) is often only seconds, we are talking about intensive engagement here. Advertisers particularly value this environment for products requiring explanation or branding campaigns.

Programmatic playout is particularly interesting here. Advertising space can be traded automatically via platforms such as Vistar Media or Broadsign. The advantage for the operator: they do not have to worry about the sale of advertising slots, but merely provide the technical infrastructure (player & screen). Billing takes place according to the CPM model (cost-per-mille), based on validated frequency data of the location.

What We See in Practice

Based on numerous projects in the field of visual infrastructure, clear trends and sources of error can be identified:

1. Underestimated Operating Costs: Many operators focus on the investment expenditure (CAPEX). However, the actual costs arise during operation (OPEX) through power consumption and maintenance. Efficient power management, which adjusts brightness to ambient light via sensors, can reduce energy costs by up to 40%.
2. Inadequate Anti-reflection: High nit values alone are not enough. Without a high-quality anti-reflection coating (anti-glare), the screen becomes a mirror when the sun is at a low angle, making it impossible to absorb information.
3. Connectivity Weaknesses: Mobile connections in underground car parks or at remote motorway locations are often unstable. Local caching of content on the media player is essential so that no “black screen” or error message appears in the event of a connection failure.
4. Lack of Service Concept: An outdoor display requires an annual check-up (filter cleaning, seal inspection). We often see systems that fail after 24 months due to corrosion or overheating because preventive maintenance was ignored.
5. Content Quality: Resolution (usually 4K) is often undermined by inferior image material. In an environment where the user stands close to the screen (touch distance at the charging station), compression artefacts are immediately noticeable.

Sustainability and Efficiency

In the context of electromobility, credibility regarding sustainability (ESG) is of central importance. A display that wastes energy unnecessarily does not fit the image of a green charging park. Modern LED backlight technologies and compliance with the EU Ecodesign Directive (2021/341) are decisive here. Lumexo also recommends the use of remote monitoring systems. If an error can be fixed remotely through a software reboot, this not only saves costs but also reduces the CO2 footprint of the project by avoiding service trips.

Conclusion

Mobility hubs are the petrol stations of the future, but they are more than that: they are information nodes. The visual infrastructure determines whether the user perceives the charging process as an annoying interruption or as time used meaningfully. Those who invest in high-quality, certified hardware and intelligent software integration today not only secure a new level of revenue through DOOH, but also meet the upcoming regulatory requirements for accessibility and energy efficiency.

Recommendation from Lumexo

• Focus on System Stability: Use dedicated hardware players like BrightSign or the latest generation SoC (System-on-Chip) solutions (e.g. Samsung SSSP) instead of relying on classic consumer PCs.
• Plan for Accessibility: Consider the requirements of the BFSG 2025 – particularly interaction height and contrast ratios – already in the design phase.
• Integrate Data, Not Just Images: Couple your CMS with the charging station backend. A display that shows the progress of one’s own charging process receives the full attention of the user.
• Choose Industry Standards: Insist on IK10 and IP65/66 certifications as well as long-life panels specified for 24/7 use under direct sunlight.