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, wherein the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are formed by two contact rails (15, 17) that are oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are assigned to each contact rail (15, 17), wherein, in a non-contact state, the mating potential equalization contact is arranged at a different height position to the mating power contacts (49, 53), as seen in the vertical direction, and wherein, in the non-contact state, the mating power contacts (49, 53) are arranged at a different height position to the mating control contact, as seen in the vertical direction, wherein a mating potential equalization contact body forming the mating potential equalization contact and mating power contact bodies (41, 45) forming the mating power contacts (49, 53) are fixed on a receiving body of the charging station, so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, relative to a mating control contact body forming the mating control contact and relative to one another by means of a fixing apparatus, and wherein the vehicle-side contact apparatus and the charging-station-side mating contact apparatus are designed in such a way that, in order to produce the contact between the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) and the charging-station-side mating contacts (49, 51, 53, 55), first of all the vehicle-side potential equalization contact is able to be brought into contact with a charging-station-side mating potential equalization contact, then the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) are able to be brought into contact with charging-station-side mating power contacts (49, 53), and finally the vehicle-side control contact is able to be brought into contact with a charging-station-side mating control contact, and that, in order to release the contact between the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) and the charging-station-side mating contacts (49, 51, 53, 55), first of all the vehicle-side control contact is able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating control contact, then the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) are able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating power contacts (49, 53), and finally the vehicle-side potential equalization contact is able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating potential equalization contact. wherein the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are formed by two contact rails (15, 17) that are oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein two contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) are assigned to each contact rail (15, 17), wherein, in a non-contact state, the mating potential equalization contact is arranged at a different height position to the mating power contacts (49, 53), as seen in the vertical direction, and wherein, in the non-contact state, the mating power contacts (49, 53) are arranged at a different height position to the mating control contact, as seen in the vertical direction, wherein a mating potential equalization contact body forming the mating potential equalization contact and mating power contact bodies (41, 45) forming the mating power contacts (49, 53) are fixed on a receiving body of the charging station, so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, relative to a mating control contact body forming the mating control contact and relative to one another by means of a fixing apparatus, and wherein the vehicle-side contact apparatus and the charging-station-side mating contact apparatus are designed in such a way that, in order to produce the contact between the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) and the charging-station-side mating contacts (49, 51, 53, 55), first of all the vehicle-side potential equalization contact is able to be brought into contact with a charging-station-side mating potential equalization contact, then the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) are able to be brought into contact with charging-station-side mating power contacts (49, 53), and finally the vehicle-side control contact is able to be brought into contact with a charging-station-side mating control contact, and that, in order to release the contact between the vehicle-side contacts (21, 23, 25, 27) and the charging-station-side mating contacts (49, 51, 53, 55), first of all the vehicle-side control contact is able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating control contact, then the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) are able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating power contacts (49, 53), and finally the vehicle-side potential equalization contact is able to be brought out of contact with the charging-station-side mating potential equalization contact.