EV that drives off and charges itself
Hyundai and sub-brand Kia have unveiled a concept they say will be in production around 2025 – an Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS) that enables an electric vehicle to self-drive to a charging station, power up and then shift to another space when finished.
The companies say the system will offer convenience to drivers who are faced with an overcrowding of both parking and charging locations as electric vehicle numbers grow steadily, because it relocates fully charged vehicles from charging stations and allows other awaiting electric vehicles to charge.
Upon commanding the vehicle to charge using a smartphone, the vehicle will automatically cruise to a vacant wireless charging station.
When the vehicle is fully charged, it will relocate to another vacant parking space using the Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS), allowing other vehicles to charge at the spot. When the driver calls for the vehicle, it will then autonomously return to the location of the driver.
The overall process is performed by continuous communication between electric vehicle, parking facility, charging system and driver.
The parking facility sends location of empty parking spaces and charging stations, while the charging system updates the charging status of the vehicle in real-time.
Kia and Hyundai are considering commercialising the technology upon the launch of a Level 4 autonomous vehicle around 2025.
Level 4 denotes a vehicle that has high automation and can fully self-drive in most situations, although the driver must activate autonomous functions and may have to take over in extreme conditions.
Kia and Hyundai also plan to commercialise autonomous vehicles in various smart cities from 2021, with a goal of launching fully autonomous vehicles by 2030.