Electrical charging apparatus for charging a battery of a vehicle, having a lifting device to which a charging head (12; 12') is coupled; - wherein the lifting device is constructed as follows: - an actuator and a slider, wherein the actuator linearly moves the slider on a shaft; - a first arm, on the end of which the charging head is coupled via a rotary joint; - a second arm, the first end of which is connected to a rotary joint of the slider via a rotary joint and the second end of which is connected to a third arm via a rotary joint; - the first end of the third arm is connected to the first arm via a rotary joint, and the second end is connected to a positionally fixed bearing block via a rotary joint; - the axes of rotation of the rotary joints (32, 41, 43, 44, 45) are parallel to one another, wherein, on a first surface of the charging head (12; 12'), the charging head (12; 12') has a first plurality of first electrical contacts (14; 14-1; 14-2; 14-3), at least some of which are connectable to an energy source for the purpose of charging the battery; and having the actuator, by means of which the lifting device is able to be actuated in such a way that the charging head (12; 12') is at least partially movable in a first direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface; wherein furthermore the lifting device is designed in such a way that, if the charging head comes into contact with a stop surface (U, P), the movement in the original movement direction is inhibited and, owing to the further movement of the third arm, the charging head is moved pressed against the underbody and along a second direction, which is oriented substantially parallel to the first surface and perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of the first electrical contacts are in the form of mutually parallel lamellae which are perpendicular to the first surface. a lifting device to which a charging head (12; 12') is coupled; - wherein the lifting device is constructed as follows: - an actuator and a slider, wherein the actuator linearly moves the slider on a shaft; - a first arm, on the end of which the charging head is coupled via a rotary joint; - a second arm, the first end of which is connected to a rotary joint of the slider via a rotary joint and the second end of which is connected to a third arm via a rotary joint; - the first end of the third arm is connected to the first arm via a rotary joint, and the second end is connected to a positionally fixed bearing block via a rotary joint; - the axes of rotation of the rotary joints (32, 41, 43, 44, 45) are parallel to one another, - wherein the lifting device is constructed as follows: - an actuator and a slider, wherein the actuator linearly moves the slider on a shaft; - a first arm, on the end of which the charging head is coupled via a rotary joint; - a second arm, the first end of which is connected to a rotary joint of the slider via a rotary joint and the second end of which is connected to a third arm via a rotary joint; - the first end of the third arm is connected to the first arm via a rotary joint, and the second end is connected to a positionally fixed bearing block via a rotary joint; - the axes of rotation of the rotary joints (32, 41, 43, 44, 45) are parallel to one another, - an actuator and a slider, wherein the actuator linearly moves the slider on a shaft; - a first arm, on the end of which the charging head is coupled via a rotary joint; - a second arm, the first end of which is connected to a rotary joint of the slider via a rotary joint and the second end of which is connected to a third arm via a rotary joint; - the first end of the third arm is connected to the first arm via a rotary joint, and the second end is connected to a positionally fixed bearing block via a rotary joint; - the axes of rotation of the rotary joints (32, 41, 43, 44, 45) are parallel to one another, wherein, on a first surface of the charging head (12; 12'), the charging head (12; 12') has a first plurality of first electrical contacts (14; 14-1; 14-2; 14-3), at least some of which are connectable to an energy source for the purpose of charging the battery; and having the actuator, by means of which the lifting device is able to be actuated in such a way that the charging head (12; 12') is at least partially movable in a first direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface; wherein furthermore the lifting device is designed in such a way that, if the charging head comes into contact with a stop surface (U, P), the movement in the original movement direction is inhibited and, owing to the further movement of the third arm, the charging head is moved pressed against the underbody and along a second direction, which is oriented substantially parallel to the first surface and perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of the first electrical contacts are in the form of mutually parallel lamellae which are perpendicular to the first surface.