Hyundai Unveils Fully Automatic EV Charging Robot

21 March, 2023: Hyundai Motor Group unveiled a video showcasing the features of its automatic charging robot (ACR) for electric cars. The robot plugs a cable into an EV’s charging port and removes it once the vehicle is completely charged. The ACR is bagged with such technology that it communicates with the vehicle to open its charging port. The robot calculates the exact location and angles through a camera mounted inside. The system then fastens the charger to the vehicle’s charging port to start the charging session. After the vehicle is completely charged, the robot automatically removes the charger, places it back and closes the charging port cover once the car is fully charged.

The ACR aims to simplify and improve the convenience of EV charging. Dong Jin Hyun, Head of Robotics Lab, Hyundai Motor Group, said, “We will continue developing the ACR for increased safety and more convenience so that all EV customers can soon benefit from using it at charging stations.”

The development of the ACR required the consideration of various factors, such as the parking spot of the vehicle, the design of the charging port, the weather and the weight of the charging cable. Hyundai group has developed such an algorithm that applies 3D AI technology to robots and next generation control technology to enable robots to handle heavy chargers accurately.

To test the ACR's performance in extreme weather conditions, the Group built a bespoke outdoor EV charging station and evaluated the robot's performance. The ACR has secured a waterproof and dustproof grade of IP65 and comes with a safety pole with a built-in laser sensor around the robot to prevent possible accidents by detecting stationary and moving obstacles.

Hyundai Group expects the ACR to increase the convenience of EV charging significantly. If combined with autonomous parking control systems in the future, the ACR can sequentially charge several parked vehicles, further improving EV charging utilisation. Hyundai Motor’s latest ACR will be on display from March 31 to April 9 at Hyundai Motor’s exhibition booth during the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show, KINTEX in Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do