SEOUL—Engineers at Hyundai Motor Group have developed an automatic charging robot (ACR) for electric vehicles. The one-armed device can plug a cable into an EV’s charging port and remove it after charging. 

Once a vehicle is stationary, the ACR communicates with the vehicle to open the charging port, calculating the exact location and angle through a camera. The robot then picks up the charger and fastens it to the vehicle’s charging port. Once charging is complete, the device removes the charger and closes the cover of the vehicle’s charging port.

“The ACR will help to make EV-charging easier and more convenient, especially in dark environments,” says Dong Jin Hyun, head of Hyundai’s robotics laboratory. “It will also improve accessibility, particularly for people with mobility barriers, as charging cables become thicker and heavier to enable high-speed charging. We will continue developing the ACR for increased safety and more convenience, so that all EV customers can soon benefit from using it at charging stations.”

The robot is dustproof and waterproof, with an IP65 environmental rating. A safety pole features a built-in laser sensor that enables the robot to safely detect stationary and moving obstacles.