Hyundai plans to introduce self-charging in electric vehicles

Despite electric vehicles (EV) gaining popularity, charging them can still be a hurdle. Hyundai and Kia are planning to ease this hurdle but introducing a system through which an EV can wirelessly charge itself.

Sister companies Hyundai and Kia recently released its concept video in which it showed the probable solution to the problem of overcrowding at public charging station if EV sales keep growing. The solution includes a system that can automatically guide an EV to a wireless charging station and then driver away as soon as it’s completely charged.

The video showed how the automaker plans to combine wireless charging with their Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS). An app will be able to tell owners if there is a public charger in a building, after which they can just step out and send a command to the vehicle to find an available charger.

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The EV will then charge itself through wireless magnetic induction and then automatically move to an empty parking spot, using the AVPS, when the battery touches 100%, hence making way for the other car in line. The car’s owner will know once the job is done due to real-time updates through the app and can then call for the EV back via the same app.

Video Courtesy: Hyundai

The entire process is completed by continuous communication between electric vehicle, parking facility, charging system and driver. The parking facility sends location of vacant parking spaces and charging stations, whereas the charging system updates the charging status of the vehicle in real-time.

As per Hyundai, the firms plan to commercialize the tech upon launch of level 4 autonomous vehicles around 2025. Also, the two firms also plan to commercialize autonomous vehicles in different smart cities from 2021 with an aim to entirely launch them by 2030.