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Robotic EV charging for parking lots from a tyre manufacturer
Written by Daniel Andzhurov – February 09, 2022
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
Charging electric cars is one of the most unpleasant duties of their owners. Well, it seems like Continental has a solution for it.
Continental – or more precisely the service provider Continental Engineering Services (CES) – is developing a robot with start-up company Volterio, which aims to make charging with electricity much more convenient. The system consists of two components: one module at the bottom of the car and another on the floor of the garage or parking lot. Once the car is parked, they connect via an intelligent automatic system using ultra-wideband and radio-based communication technology. The car need not be parked as precisely as possible in the desired place, as the charging robot corrects deviations up to 30 centimeters from the ideal position.
Unlike inductive or wireless charging, energy flows through a physical connection in which there is almost no energy loss. In addition, the system is simple and easy to install – it is not a problem to be installed as an aftermarket solution, for instance, on old electric car models. The use of the Continental charging robot was originally designed for private homes with up to 22 kW of AC (Alternating Current, what you get delivered to your household sockets) power. In the second step, a solution for fast charging will be developed, in which the module will be able to enter the ground – for parking lots, gas stations or business areas with charging power over 50 kW at DC. At some point, the system will also be adapted for fleets of light commercial vehicles. Serial production in Germany is planned for 2024.
Auto Trendy’s take:
These are one of the most challenging times in the world of automotive history, and new solutions like this robotic charging are the proof. We know that only by being challenged, one seeks change and looks for new solutions. What we have learned from this article is that a tyre manufacturer is going into the production of EV charging technology. Well, if that is not a revolution, then we do not know what it is.
