Device for charging an electrical energy store of a vehicle having an electrical drive, comprising an electrical contact apparatus that is assigned to the vehicle and has a first power contact forming a first pole, a second power contact forming a second pole, a control contact and a potential equalization contact, and comprising a mating contact apparatus that is assigned to a charging station and has mating contacts (49, 51, 53, 55) corresponding to the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27), wherein the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are formed by two contact rails (15, 17), wherein two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are assigned to each contact rail (15, 17), wherein the two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) of the respective contact rail (15, 17) are spaced apart from one another by a defined longitudinal distance, as seen in the rail longitudinal direction, wherein the control contact has a shorter length than the power contacts (21, 25), wherein the power contacts (21, 25) have a shorter length than the potential equalization contact, and wherein the first power contact, the second power contact, the control contact and the potential equalization contact of the vehicle-side contact apparatus are arranged and formed in such a way that, when the vehicle moves forwards and/or backwards, starting from a contact state in which each vehicle-side contact (21, 23, 25, 27) is in contact with an assigned charging station-side mating contact (49, 51, 53, 55), first, the vehicle-side control contact comes out of contact with an assigned charging station-side mating control contact, subsequently, the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) come out of contact with assigned charging station-side mating power contacts (49, 53) and, finally, the vehicle-side potential equalization contact comes out of contact with an assigned charging station-side mating potential equalization contact. wherein the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are formed by two contact rails (15, 17), wherein two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are assigned to each contact rail (15, 17), wherein the two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) of the respective contact rail (15, 17) are spaced apart from one another by a defined longitudinal distance, as seen in the rail longitudinal direction, wherein the control contact has a shorter length than the power contacts (21, 25), wherein the power contacts (21, 25) have a shorter length than the potential equalization contact, and wherein the first power contact, the second power contact, the control contact and the potential equalization contact of the vehicle-side contact apparatus are arranged and formed in such a way that, when the vehicle moves forwards and/or backwards, starting from a contact state in which each vehicle-side contact (21, 23, 25, 27) is in contact with an assigned charging station-side mating contact (49, 51, 53, 55), first, the vehicle-side control contact comes out of contact with an assigned charging station-side mating control contact, subsequently, the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) come out of contact with assigned charging station-side mating power contacts (49, 53) and, finally, the vehicle-side potential equalization contact comes out of contact with an assigned charging station-side mating potential equalization contact.