While EVs are certainly impressive accomplishments in the automotive industry, they’re not perfect. One common complaint is the slow charging rate for the batteries, and limited availability for charging stations. Well, Volkswagen is investing in a solution of sorts, automated robots that charge your car while you're away.
The automaker showcased a new prototype on Monday: Large robots that travel around in car lots to charge any nearby electric vehicles. They first announced plans for such a device about a year ago, but only now are we actually seeing prototypes of the product.
These robots carry their own mobile batteries and feature an extendable arm that can attach to an EV’s charging port. They attach the battery to the car to charge, leaving the battery there while they go get another one for a different car. When the external battery runs slow, they return to their designated charging station, recharge, and go out to find the next vehicle.
This would solve both the issue of trying to charge a vehicle without needing the driver present and trying to provide vehicle charging in an entire parking garage without needing to rebuild the overall infrastructure. It would also allow a single robot to manage multiple vehicle charges at the same time.
Don’t worry, the robot wont go around charging whatever they can find. Vehicle owners can request the robot charge their cars through either a mobile app or with vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The robot will take care of everything after that.
The robot will use autonomous technology similar to self-driving cars to navigate the parking garage, allowing them to be unmanned for a majority of its operation. VW explains that installing these robots is tremendously easy, as well, making it a less-complicated choice for existing lots looking to add EV charging to it’s building. They also suggest pairing it with an autonomous valet service.
When these robots will reach standard consumer markets is uncertain. But based on the brand’s behavior lately, it’ll be all but inevitable to reach production.
Volkswagen Reveals Prototype Robot that Autonomously Charges EVs
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Posted On: Dec 28, 2020 @ 04:39 PM