General Motors is the latest automaker looking to patent a robotic EV charger.
A patent application titled "Robotic Charging Device" was filed by GM with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 30, 2021, but was only published this Thursday.
The application describes an automated charging process in which the charger plugs itself into an EV and then unplugs when charging is completed. Hardware for this would consist of a base and vertical pillar, with an attached arm that could rotate or extend to position the charge cable.
General Motors robotic EV charger patent image
It's worth noting that the applicant listed for this idea is not just GM, but GM Cruise Holdings, the autonomous-driving tech firm owned by the automaker. Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt, who also co-founded Cruise before selling to GM, is listed as one of the inventors on the application.
This provides a clue as to the possible use of this robotic charger design. Robotic charging will likely be necessary for self-driving cars, which won't always have a driver onboard to plug them in. The application even discusses utilizing an autonomous vehicle's sensors to help position the charge cable.
Cruise launched a robotaxi service in early 2022 in San Francisco using a fleet of modified Chevrolet Bolt EV hatchbacks. It plans to stick with EVs, eventually adding a dedicated vehicle known as the Origin. So Cruise will definitely need to consider large-scale EV charging.
General Motors robotic EV charger patent image
Automated charging has other potential benefits, including making EVs more practical for those with mobility issues. That promise has led other automakers to experiment with robotic chargers.
Hyundai recently showed a prototype EV charging robot installed at the automaker's main R&D center in South Korea, and Stellantis showed a mobile inductive charging robot alongside the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept at CES this year. Tesla showed a snake-like robotic charger prototype in 2015, but has made no further moves toward its application.