Robotic electric vehicle chargers will be put to the test at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in the coming months as part of a pilot program for innovative charging solutions.
Developed by EV Charge Safe, robot charger, named Ziggy, goes to a car that needs a charging plug, then returns to the staging area to recharge. Mobile unit can also implement advertising as a revenue source.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
According to a press release from the airport, mobile robot charging will be one of the technologies that DFW plans to introduce during five public demonstrations in airport parking lots from May to August. DFW, other demos will focus on apps and on-demand charging, but the release doesn’t discuss when to put any of these technologies into regular use at the airport.
The advantage of mobile phone charging robots, EV Charge Safe said, is that they can turn any parking space into an EV charging space. That could give drivers and infrastructure planners more flexibility and act as an alternative to internal combustion vehicle drivers. blocking electric vehicle charging pointsalso known as “ICEing.”
Ziggy EV Charging Robot Kiosk
In its own release, EV Safe Charge notes that the city of Barcelona recently announced Ziggy as the winner of a pilot project competition for EV charging, thanks to the added versatility of this portable solution. . The company also sells more conventional Level 2 AC and DC fast chargers for commercial use.
Other companies are also experimenting with charging robots with a number of different angles. Automotive supplier Continental invented another type of charging robot based on physical connection to the vehicle. Somewhere in between, perhaps, is wireless charging robot which Stellantis is developing with EFI Automotive. The latter was introduced with a concept version of the Ram electric pickup truck earlier this year, but the automaker hasn’t discussed its use with a production model due out in 2024.
