With Electric Vehicles becoming increasingly common and affordable, companies across the world have begun turning their attention towards setting up EV charging infrastructure and developing newer, faster, and efficient methods to charges these EVs. Lately, Volkswagen has given us a first glimpse of the prototypes of its ‘mobile charging robot’ that can be used for fully autonomous charging of electric vehicles in restricted parking areas, like underground garages.
The charging robot is started via an app or Car-to-X communication and operates autonomously. Thereon, the entire charging process takes place without any human involvement. From opening the charging socket flap to connecting the plug and decoupling it, the robot independently steers to the vehicle to be charged and communicates with it.
If there are multiple electric vehicles that need to be charged simultaneously, this mobile robot moves a mobile energy storage unit to the vehicle, connects it, and then uses this energy storage unit to charge the vehicle and repeats the process to charge other vehicles. Once done, it independently collects the mobile energy storage unit and takes it back to the central charging station.
Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components said:
“Setting up efficient charging infrastructure for the future is a central task that challenges the entire sector and we are developing solutions to help avoid costly stand-alone measures. The mobile charging robot and our flexible quick-charging station are just two of these solutions."
The business unit of the company is currently working on a complete DC charging family and a flexible quick-charging station is anticipated to be launched in early 2021.
