Hyundai has partnered with Incheon International Airport to commercialize the Automatic Charging Robot, a fully automated electric vehicle charger. Discover what you need to know about this interesting innovation.
Most electric vehicle (EV) owners don’t arrive at a charging station and think to themselves that it’s just too difficult to get out of the car to plug in their EVs. For those who do, Hyundai is developing a solution.
After all, modern EVs are capable of driving themselves for short periods under supervision. Why shouldn’t they also charge themselves?
What Is the Hyundai ACR?
In all fairness, charging electric vehicles isn’t always a simple process. You need to find a compatible charger, locate the socket, and have your vehicle validated before you can start juicing up the battery.
Hyundai’s automated solution removes these hassles. Known as the Automated Charging Robot (ACR). It’s comprised of a single robotic arm that uses deep learning to insert charging cables effectively into electric vehicles without driver intervention.
How the ACR Works
A robotic arm that swings out and places a charging cable in a port may not sound particularly impressive, but it requires a significant amount of technological innovation to make this process feasible.
The ACR uses deep learning to determine the location of vehicles’ charging ports. Currently, it’s pretty precise, with less than one centimeter of variation. Hyundai reports that it is still refining the system’s precision, so it should perform better in the future.
Of course, some people have brought up safety concerns. Nobody wants to be stuck in one place at a charging stall with no ability to leave in an emergency.
Current speculation suggests that the ACR will utilize a quick disconnect feature, similar to the one manufactured by EV Eject, to mitigate this issue and enable drivers to pull away safely in the event of a hazardous situation.
For smaller movements, the ACR is designed to move smoothly with the vehicle, preventing it from being pulled out.
When Will We See the ACR?
Currently, the ACR is still undergoing testing. Hyundai has partnered with the Incheon International Airport in South Korea to install several charging stations equipped with its ACR.
So, when will Hyundai’s ACR hit the mainstream? Don’t start hitting up car dealerships yet. Hyundai hasn’t given any indication as to whether it will even move forward with the project past its pilot phase, so there’s no way to know.
Additional Steps in the Right Direction
For most EV owners, autonomous charging isn’t as much of a priority as being able to drive around without experiencing range anxiety. As Tesla opens up its charging infrastructure to electric vehicles (EVs) manufactured by its competitors, that’s already changing.
Think of Hyundai’s ACR as the icing on the cake. Some day, you may be able to arrive at a Tesla Supercharger and wait in your car while it does all the work for you, allowing you to get back on the road quickly with no hassles whatsoever.
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