Automakers Develop Robot That Charges Your EV for You

As automakers and climate-focused legislators continue to push electric vehicle adoption, they’ll need all the help they can get. If the idea of using public EV charging cables gives you pause, Hyundai and Kia have developed the Automatic Charging Robot. 

Shown off online last week, Hyundai Motor Group’s ACR aims to make EV charging more convenient by doing the heavy lifting for you. The robot consists of a sleek safety pole, which sits atop a wheeled base. An arm that holds the charging cable at one point and the charging plug at another is attached to the pole. Drivers park in a designated charging spot (or tell their car to do that for them) and hit a button on the key fob that tells the ACR to initiate charging. 

ACR sends a signal that commands the car to open its charging port door. Once that’s open, the ACR wheels closer to the vehicle and uses its AI-equipped 3D camera to line up the charging plug with the port. A meter on the side of the ACR’s safety pole displays the vehicle’s current charge level. Once that meter hits 100%, the robot arm pulls back, and the ACR wheels away. 

The ACR is said to be compatible with various EV plugs, though it’ll mostly use a J1772 or CCS connector. To avoid bumping into people or other obstacles—including expensive EVs—the ACR uses built-in laser sensors to detect stationary or moving obstructions and re-route or wait for them to pass. It’s also designed to operate in most weather conditions, thanks to its waterproof and dustproof body. 

Hyundai Motor Group first teased the ACR back in July 2022, using a computer mockup to display the robot’s capabilities. But just about anyone can design a potential robot using a computer; a real-life proof-of-concept is another thing. Hyundai’s new YouTube video shows an IONIQ 6 backing itself into an EV charging space and receiving a seamless, keyfob-initiated charge via ACR. The automaker is also expected to unveil the tech in person at the Seoul Mobility Show next week.

Aside from the ACR’s obvious convenience benefits—especially in cold or rainy weather—the robot might also give EVs an accessibility boost. Drivers with certain mobility limits might have trouble lifting heavy charging cables; for others, getting in and out of the car might be enough of an ordeal to want to avoid public charging. Depending on how—and if—Hyundai Motor Group rolls out the ACR, it could end up helping a pretty wide swath of new and seasoned EV drivers.