There are many malls and apartment complexes that come with electric vehicle (EV) chargers and parking bays. The only problem is that you need to go look for them, and given that they aren’t exactly many around, this can be an issue. However, Volkswagen might have solved that problem with EV charging robots.The company has taken the wraps off a mobile charging robot that can actually seek out EVs that are parked and then charge the car. This means that you could, in theory, park anywhere you want, and then summon the robot to your location instead of you seeking it out. The fact that it is autonomous means that it can move from car to car as and when needed, instead of EV owners hogging parking bays and EV chargers.
According to Mark Möller, Head of Development at Volkswagen Group Components, “The mobile charging robot will spark a revolution when it comes to charging in different parking facilities, such as multistorey car parks, parking spaces and underground car parks because we bring the charging infrastructure to the car and not the other way around. With this, we are making almost every car park electric, without any complex individual infrastructural measures.”
However, as it stands, Volkswagen’s EV charging robot exists as a prototype/concept. This means that it is unclear if the company plans on releasing it in the future, so we’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, it does sound rather promising.
Filed in . Read more about Electric Cars and Volkswagen. Source: volkswagen-newsroom