Charging your electric car? Maybe a robot will soon do it!

It’s a little extra that makes all the difference. At some service stations, employees offer to fill up your car for you. For a small extra charge, this service appeals to the most sensible customers. Hyundai has decided to adapt this service to electric cars in a more modern scenario where the robot inevitably replaces the human.

A robot that takes care of everything

Hyundai Mobis, which is none other than an equipment manufacturer closely linked to Hyundai, is therefore presenting a strange automaton capable of managing the charging of electric cars from A to Z and, by extension, from 0 to 100%. From the outset, the robot communicates with the electric vehicle to open the charging hatch. Equipped with a mechanical arm connecting the terminal to the car, the device only has to aim right. It can then rely on its camera to identify the precise location of the socket.

Once the charge is complete, the robot disconnects the cable and orders the hatch to be closed. The vehicle is ready to go! But is this fantastic display of technology, while fun, really useful in itself? Such an installation would require compatible vehicles and terminals, and additional maintenance costs that would have to be borne by the customers.

Useful for people with reduced mobility

Dong Jin Hyun, head of Hyundai’s robotics laboratory, says charging cables will become increasingly heavy in the future to deliver ever higher charging power. The Hyundai Mobis robot will therefore help to circumvent the problem for certain users, such as people with reduced mobility. For the time being, this robot is only a prototype. If it passes the approval tests, it could be launched initially in South Korea. And perhaps soon in our countries?