Ford is starting an innovative solution to the charging problems of electronic vehicles (EV).
The car company is testing a new robot charging station, which can be operated from inside your car.
How the Robot EV Chargers Work
To use the EV chargers, you only have to pull up to the designated station, as per CNET. Then, using a FordPass smartphone app, you can start the charging process.
You have to wait for the car's charge door to open. Afterward, a robot arm will emerge from the station. It will then precisely plug itself into the car through the aid of a small camera.
In the video shown by Ford, you will see another version of the robot. In the other version, the robot drops down from the ceiling of a parking garage to plug into the car. After charging the vehicle, the arm retracts back into the charging station.
According to Ford, the robot charger has completed its initial lab testing phase. Currently, it is undergoing real-world trials.
The company said the robot chargers are useful for parking spots dedicated to disabled people, private homes, or parking lots. Moreover, this new robot tech will charge large company fleets easily.
The robot chargers could also charge cars more powerfully and in a shorter time. Ford is aiming for a fully automated process in the future, where drivers can send their car to the charging station by itself.
The robot chargers were developed in collaboration with Dortmund University in Germany. According to Ford, to further improve the system, the company will work with charging network Ionity.
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Ford Robot Chargers Will Benefit Persons with Reduced Mobility
While charging an electric vehicle can be considered a simple task, it is a significant challenge for people with reduced mobility.
The prototype robot charging station that Ford developed will significantly make it easier for people with reduced mobility to charge their vehicles since drivers can operate it through their smartphones from inside their electric vehicles.
The robot chargers will allow drivers with reduced mobility to stay in the car while charging. Moreover, they could just let the robot do its work.
According to Ford, drivers with a disability or those with reduced mobility consider the ease of charging as a primary consideration in buying electric vehicles.
Ford wanted to ensure the freedom of movement. It has been seen that charging EVs can be a major challenge for drivers with reduced mobility. Thus, it came up with robot chargers.
"The robot charging station could be an added convenience for some people but - absolutely essential for others," said Birger Fricke, research engineer, Research and Innovation Center, Ford of Europe
Now, Ford is putting the robot charging station on trial. This move by the company is part of a research project to create "hands-free charging solutions for electric vehicles" and "fully automatic charging for autonomous vehicles."
The research project is part of Ford's commitment to electrification. The car company will work on a follow-up project with the charging network provider IONITY, which will explore possibilities of enhancing the robot charging station.
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