autoevolution
 

Continental and Volterio Team Up to Make a Smart, Automatic Charging Robot for EVs

Making the switch to electric vehicles poses its own problems and finding the simplest, fastest, and most convenient solution to recharging the battery is the most important one. Continental teams up with Austrian startup Volterio in an attempt to revolutionize the way EVs are charged.
Continental and Volterio Team Up to Develop Automatic Charging Robots for EVs 6 photos
Photo: Continental
Volterio automatic connection device for electric vehiclesVolterio automatic connection device for electric vehiclesVolterio automatic connection device for electric vehiclesContinental & Volterio charging robotContinental & Volterio charging robot
Volterio specializes in developing fully automatic, affordable, high-power charging solutions and it recently partnered with Continental’s Engineering Services (CES) to make an intelligent charging robot that will make the whole process much easier.

The system will consist of two components that will connect to one another. One unit will be placed in the underbody of the car and the second one will be on the garage floor. The smart system connecting them once the car is parked can be controlled through ultra-broadband (radio-based communication technology for short-range data transmission).

One great thing about the charging robot is that it can do its job even if you don’t park the car perfectly and you’re up to 30 cm (0.3 in) off from the ideal position. The angle at which you position the vehicle is not important either, as the physical connector between the car and the floor units has a conical design that allows for any alignment and orientation between the units, as explained by Continental.

The charging robot has other notable benefits as well. One of them is that it eliminates the need for users to handle heavy charging cables. Another one is the fact that the entire system is very efficient as the energy flows through a physical connection, so there’s no energy loss as is the case with wireless inductive charging via a magnetic field. Installing the system is also a quick, straightforward process. You can simply place the floor unit on the garage floor, or you can have it bolted down.

Continental and Volterio’s automatic charging robot is designed for private household use. We don’t have a price for the system yet, but we know from Continental that it is expected to enter mass production in 2024.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Cristina Mircea
Cristina Mircea profile photo

Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories