Handy R2-D2-style droids designed to charge cars automatically when parked
Volkswagen has previewed a close-to-production mobile charging robot it plans to deploy in 2021 that will help boost a city’s charging infrastructure.
Based on the car-maker’s concept that was unveiled last year, the new video released this week shows how Volkswagen plans to use a small army of autonomous charging droids to roam around car parks and streets looking for cars in need of a top-up.
Developed by Volkswagen Group Components, the first prototype mobile charging robots, nicknamed ‘battery wagons’, can be summoned either via an app in a car park or automatically via the vehicle’s on-board car-to-car communications hardware.
Volkswagen Teases Prototype Of Mobile Charging Robot ++ It was a futuristic concept, now it s a prototype, but will it really enter the market?
It s a pretty interesting solution that utilizes an autonomous mobile charging robot, which can haul and connect/disconnect compact mobile DC chargers with on-board batteries - battery wagons.
According to the previous info about the concept, a single unit carries 25 kWh of energy and can deliver DC charging at up to 50 kW (CCS Combo plug).
The prototype of the Volkswagen’s Mobile Charging Robot
The main idea for the Mobile Charging Robot is to charge EVs in restricted parking areas, like underground garages.
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Volkswagen originally introduced the mobile charging robot concept in this animated video last year. The robot communicates with the vehicle directly, opening the charging socket flap to connecting the plug and decoupling it, and the entire charging process takes place without any human involvement whatsoever apart from the initial app activation. To charge several vehicles at the same time, the mobile robot tows a mobile energy storage unit to the vehicle, connects it and repeats the process to charge other vehicles. Once the vehicle is charged to the level pre-selected by the driver through the mobile phone app, the robot collects the mobile energy storage unit and takes it back to the central charging station.
VW’s prototype robot is designed to offer full-service charging for electric vehicles
Volkswagen Group has developed a mobile electric vehicle charger that can autonomously navigate parking areas, power up an EV and then make its way back to its outpost without the intervention of humans.
The prototype, which VW Group Components created, aims to showcase how the automaker will expand charging infrastructure over the next few years to meet the expected demand that will arise as it produces and sells more electric vehicles. VW Group has committed to launching dozens of electric models over the next decade. The group’s Volkswagen brand plans to build and sell 1.5 million electric cars by 2025.
Volkswagen has unveiled a prototype of its mobile charging robot that wheels over to electric vehicles and refills them with power.
The fully autonomous machine is designed for parking areas, such as underground garages, and is set to be rolled out sometime next year.
The robot tows a battery pack to a parked vehicle, which it prompts to open the charging socket flap, then connects the plug and decouples once charging is complete.
The prototype is inspired by a 2019 proof-of-concept and is fitted with large blinking eyes and R2-D2 noises.
Volkswagen has unveiled a prototype of its mobile charging robot that wheels over to electric vehicles and refills them with power