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BEIJING, Jan 22 — Huawei has unveiled a brand-new, fully automated charging system for electric cars. All you have to do is park, and a dedicated robot takes care of everything else. This solution could be deployed from as soon as this year in China.
This innovation takes the form of a charging station equipped with a fully autonomous articulated arm. A demonstration was carried out with a Maextro S800, Huawei’s luxury sedan. Once the vehicle is positioned in front of the charging station, the charging hatch opens automatically and the robotic arm detects its position to precisely connect the cable. After charging, the arm disconnects, the hatch closes, and the charged vehicle can make way for the next one. What’s more, an autonomous car can automatically position itself in front of the charging station and be charged without human assistance.
This technology offers drivers greater comfort, eliminating the need to get out of the vehicle to plug in a cable. This is particularly useful for people with reduced mobility, but also in bad weather. What’s more, this superfast charger offers a charging power of up to 600 kW, enabling batteries to be recharged in around 10 minutes, or simply to recover at least 200 kilometers of range in just five minutes. It is currently compatible with all member brands of the Huawei Supercharge Alliance, including BYD, Xpeng and JAC.
Huawei plans to deploy its first robotic charging stations in China in the second quarter of 2025. The idea is to rapidly establish a vast network of automated charging stations throughout the country.
This type of concept, based on an arm mounted on a superfast charger, is not new. For years, carmakers have been working on ways of charging cars automatically, without human assistance. A few years ago, for example, Volkswagen developed a project for mobile charging robots for use in underground parking lots. The aim is to eliminate the need to park near a dedicated charging station in order to charge up your electric vehicle. Thanks to a mobile application, a small robot comes directly to the car and charges it, using a compact articulated arm. — ETX Studio