Hyundai/Kia develop hands-free EV charging robot
Hyundai/Kia develop hands-free EV charging robot
If the argument is that the charging process is inconvenient, then such inventions may end up changing some perceptions of EV ownership.
modern self-charging robot
There are plenty of ideas for avoiding the hassle of plugging your electric car into a bulky charging cable. People have been working on the technology, from wireless tablets to robotic arms.
Hyundai Motor Group is the latest company to research driverless electric vehicle charging technology and will showcase its new autonomous charging robot at the Seoul Motor Show starting next week.
Equipped with built-in lasers, cameras, AI wheels and moving arms, the ACR, with the right EV, could make charging the Ioniq 6 as easy as pressing a button on the fob.
Charging your EV in a familiar place like home or work is nice, but it's always easier. WiTricity has been working on wireless charging for electric vehicles for a decade. In 2015, Tesla showed off a video of a metallic "snake" that automatically connects a charging cable to an electric car. Ram is developing an inductive charging robot for its upcoming electric pickup truck. This month in Seoul, Hyundai and Kia will showcase the latest in this autonomous charging technology, called ACR.
Modern robotic electric car charging station
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The self-charging robot is a bit like a metal Tesla snake, but far more advanced. The Snake has a built-in Tesla connector, while the Hyundai Motor Group ACR has a handle that can accommodate multiple plugs. Granted, most of the time you'll be using J1772 or CCS connectors, but it's nice to see this forward-looking compatibility. In fact, the HMG ACR is designed to work in any environment, "regardless of the shipper's location, weather and potential obstacles," the company said. It is a water and dust resistant (IP65 rated) robot that uses a fixed safety pole with built-in laser sensors embedded in the nearby ground to warn when the robot may collide with stationary or moving obstacles.
Modern robotic electric car charging station
modern
Modern robotic electric car charging station
modern
This is the "not so good" version. How ACR is supposed to work. You park the car where it needs to be charged, or nearby if the EV can park itself, and tell the system to start charging with the key fob. The vehicle that ACR is trying to charge must have a charge port door that can be opened without human intervention, and ACR communicates with the vehicle to open it. The wheeled ACR then approaches the vehicle and uses a 3D camera-based AI algorithm to locate the charging plug and extend the cable to the port. While the electric car is being charged, the robotic arm moves out of the way.
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Hyundai Motor Group's newly developed EV Automatic Charging Robot (ACR)
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Hyundai released a video of the ACR, this time for real. In July 2022, the automaker released a computer-generated video demonstrating the robot's capabilities. Dong Jin Hyun, head of HMG's robotics lab, said the ACR could be particularly useful for "people with mobility impairments, as charging cables become thicker and heavier to allow for high-speed charging."
For now, ACR is just one big toy on display at the Seoul Mobile Show in 2023. But HMG said it hopes the robots will be able to support electric car charging in the "near future". When ACR or any other charging simplification technology arrives, it will be the next tangible step in making EV driving easier and more convenient.