“Charging robot” automatically claims convenient wireless charging with physical connection
Automotive supplier Continental recently unveiled a “charging robot” that aims to make charging more convenient.
Continental partnered with startup Volterio on the project. The two companies aim to have the systems “incoming production” by mid-2022 and are aiming for high-volume production by 2024, Continental said in a press release.
This hardware appears to be similar to the inductive wireless charging hardware that other companies have demonstrated. Continental explains, a robotic grounding device connected to the mains will automatically connect to a receiver mounted underneath the vehicle.
Continental and Volterio
Unlike inductive charging, however, current flows through the physical connection, Continental notes. That means less energy is lost compared to inductive charging, which relies on a magnetic field to power the vehicle. Continental says the prototype system is capable of charging at either 22 kw AC or 50 kw DC.
However, not everyone agrees that wireless charging reduces charging efficiency. The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2018 announced 120 kW wireless power transmission with a claimed efficiency of 97%. In 2020, ORNL proved 20 kw transfer with 11 inch air gap92% efficiency has been announced.
The Continental’s design at least means that the driver won’t have to park the car precisely on a stationary wireless charging pad. According to Continental, the robot can deflect up to 11.8 inches, although it did not mention some of the potential barriers of a solution to vehicle underbody, such as seasonal snow and ice. crowded and dirt on the road. However, it seems to be a better solution Tesla “solid” charger shown in 2015 and less complicated than Chinese company Aiways ‘unitsa small robot summoned through an app.
Continental and Volterio
Automated charging could become even more important if self-driving cars become mainstream. In 2019, Electrify America announced a project for review automatically charge for fleet of self-driving cars.
However, even human-driven electric cars could benefit from a more streamlined charging process — and that could be a differentiator to the luxury car home charging experience.
Wireless inductive charging can sell more electric cars, hardware maker WiTricity claims. So would a system like Continental’s charging robot incentivize those who hesitate based on the charging experience?
