One of the problems that EV owners face right now is the lack of dedicated EV chargers. Unlike gas stations that are ubiquitous, EV charging stations still lack that kind of coverage, which means that drivers need to plan their routes and hope that there’s a spot available. However, Volkswagen is hoping to address part of that problem.
The company has recently published a video that shows its EV charging robot in action. This robot is essentially a mobile EV charging station. Instead of car owners having to find a dedicated spot to charge their vehicles, they can park anywhere, assuming it’s within the robot’s proximity, and the robot will come over to them instead.
Right now, some parking lots do offer charging stations, but they are limited and you would need to park in that particular spot to take advantage of it. However, by having a robot that can charge your car for you and come to you would make this process a lot easier and more convenient.
According to Volkswagen, “To charge several vehicles at the same time, the mobile robot moves a trailer, essentially a mobile energy storage unit, to the vehicle, connects it up and then uses this energy storage unit to charge the battery of the electric vehicle. The energy storage unit stays with the vehicle during the charging process. In the meantime, the robot charges other electric vehicles. Once the charging service has ended, the robot independently collects the mobile energy storage unit and takes it back to the central charging station.”
There is no word on when Volkswagen plans to make this EV charging robot available, but it’s a pretty good idea.