---
title: "Volkswagen Unveils Robot That Autonomously Charges Electric Cars"
description: "German automaker Volkswagen has unveiled a robot that can autonomously charge your electric car without the need of any human interaction."
date: "2019-12-27"
modified: "2019-12-27"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/volkswagen-robot-autonomously-charges-cars"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Self-Driving Vehicles"
tags:
  - "electric cars"
  - "ev charging"
  - "the digest"
  - "volkswagen"
---

# Volkswagen Unveils Robot That Autonomously Charges Electric Cars

![German automaker Volkswagen has unveiled a robot that can autonomously take care of charging your electric car without the need of any human interaction.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/volkswagen-robot-autonomously-charges-electric-cars.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Volkswagen\</em\>*

## Charging Buddy

German automaker Volkswagen has [unveiled a robot](<https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/26/vw-ev-charging-robot/>) that can autonomously charge your electric car without the need for any human interaction — you just summon it to your vehicle via an app.

The adorable robot can simultaneously charge multiple vehicles inside the same parking garage by hooking up a mobile battery pack to each car and then retrieving the pack once the car is charged.

## Visionary Prototype

Each battery pack can hold about 25 kWh and can top up the battery of a vehicle at a rate of 50 kW. In theory, anyways — as of right now, the robot and its "battery wagon" buddy don't actually exist.

"It’s a visionary prototype, which can be made into reality quite quickly, if the general conditions are right," Mark Möller, Head of Development at Volkswagen Group Components, said in [a statement](<https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/world-premiere-revolution-in-the-underground-car-park-volkswagen-lets-its-charging-robots-loose-5701>).

## Charge on Demand

Volkswagen hasn't announced any dates for realizing its vision, but the benefits of the robot are clear: it could eliminate the need for dedicated parking spots outfitted with electric car chargers.

"With this, we are making almost every car park electric, without any complex individual infrastructural measures," Möller said, adding that "the constructional work as well as the costs for the assembly of the charging infrastructure can be reduced considerably through the use of the robots."

**READ MORE:** [VW's prototype charging robot can find your EV in the parking garage](<https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/26/vw-ev-charging-robot/>) \[*Engadget*\]

**More on EV charging:** *[Gasoline Fiends Blocked Every Single Tesla Charger in This Town](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/gasoline-iced-tesla-charger>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)