With a low-profile design, the Continental EV charger robot concept looks seamless
Continental is currently in development on their Continental EV charger robot concept. The German-based auto parts manufacturer has partnered with Austrian startup Volterio in producing a fully automatic EV charger robot that combines the speed of a wired connection with the convenience of a wireless charger.
The charging system of the Continental EV Charger Robot Concept consists of two parts, a receiver which is mounted beneath the user’s vehicle and a ground unit that’s installed on a garage floor. Intended for household usage, its operation is as simple as it looks, the user just parks their car on top of the unit and it begins to charge.
It’s a fairly simple process, and one that we’re very familiar with, such as the concept of a wireless phone charger. The hard-wired ground unit detects the receiver using ultra-broadband and automatically forms a connection. According to Continental and Volterio, the two parts will only require their positions to be located within 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) of each other for the connection to be made, resulting in a quick and efficient charge.
This system works regardless of what angle the car is parked. Drivers don’t have to worry about perfectly aligning their vehicle over the charger when parking. In addition, the purpose of keeping the Continental EV Charger Robot Concept’s ground unit wired is that the hard connection lowers electrical usage and improves the efficiency of its 22 kW of power.
“Our charging robot is a real step in the evolution of making electric mobility more convenient and suitable for everyday use,” said Continental Engineering Services managing director Dr. Christoph Falk-Gierlinger. “With Volterio, we have the ideal partner for developing an efficient and simple solution for charging electric vehicles.”
The first near-production versions of the Continental EV charger robot concept are expected to launch sometime in the middle of this year while the series productions of the charger are planned for 2024. Furthermore, both Continental and Valerio are in the works to create fast charging solutions for parking garages and charging stations.