Valet parking: ... and the robot helps with charging
HOW BY GEISTERHAND Supplier Bosch and Volkswagen subsidiary Cariad are testing driverless parking and battery charging based on Automated Valet Parking.
Finding a parking space in confusing parking garages can be exhausting and time-consuming - as can finding the vehicle again afterwards. The same applies when searching for a free charging station. Together with Volkswagen subsidiary Cariad, Bosch is therefore now testing Automated Valet Charging. With this solution, which is based on Automated Valet Parking, electric vehicles are guided driverless to a free parking space with a charging facility and charged automatically by charging robots. Once the charging process is complete, the vehicle is maneuvered back to a parking space without a driver.
Tests in our own parking garages
Bosch and Cariad are currently testing the necessary technology in two of their own parking garages. In Cariad's employee parking garage in Ingolstadt, the companies are testing driverless parking with Automated Valet Parking, while driverless charging with Automated Valet Charging is also being tested in the Bosch parking garage in Ludwigsburg.
Improvement in charging convenience
Simple and uncomplicated charging is at the top of the wish list for electric car drivers. However, long queues at charging stations or blocking fees if the power cable is unplugged too late and manual operation of the cable are almost an everyday reality. Automated Valet Charging addresses these challenges and significantly increases the convenience of charging electric vehicles.
This is how it works: The vehicle is guided to the parking lot by the system. There, a robot opens the charging flap, automatically plugs in the charging cable and unplugs it again as soon as the vehicle battery is fully charged. The car then drives back to a parking space without a charging option and makes room for the next e-vehicle to be charged. This makes it possible to charge and park several vehicles without human interaction.
