Bosch, together with VW subsidiary Cariad, is testing automated valet charging for EVs – and showcased the technology at CES 2024 in Las Vegas last week.
The solution, which is based on Bosch’s automated valet parking system, guides EVs driverlessly to an unoccupied parking space with a chargepoint, where a charging robot opens the charging flap and automatically inserts the charging cable, removing it again once the vehicle battery is fully charged. The car then drives back to a regular parking space, freeing up the charge spot for the next EV with a low battery. The companies believe automated charging will smooth the way to ‘electromobility’.
Bosch and Cariad are currently testing the technology in two in-house parking garages in Germany: in Cariad’s staff parking garage in Ingolstadt, the two companies are testing driverless parking with automated valet parking, while driverless charging with automated valet charging is being tested in Bosch’s development parking garage in Ludwigsburg.
Manuel Maier, vice president of the cross-domain Level 4 parking product area at Bosch, said: “Making it straightforward to recharge EVs allays people’s misgivings about range and is essential if electromobility is to find widespread acceptance. With this in mind, Bosch and Cariad can make parking and charging even more efficient and convenient.”
Rolf Dubitzky, head of parking at Cariad, added: “We’re particularly pleased to be shaping the future of automated parking and charging together with Bosch. Our collaboration allows us to test the technologies at an early stage of vehicle development, so that the end product is reliable and offers customers the best possible user experience.”
