Software developer Bosch and automaker Volkswagen’s subsidiary Cariad have been trialling autonomous valet parking and charging technology.
The solution was built on the foundation of Bosch’s automated valet parking system, and is designed to direct electric vehicles autonomously to an unoccupied parking space equipped with a chargepoint, where a charging robot then recharges vehicles automatically.
After the charging session has finished, the vehicle is automatically guided to a new parking space, with the technology currently being trialled by the companies’ two in-house parking garages in Germany.
Some of the key roadblocks the pair hopes to address include queues at charge spots, blocking fees for disconnecting the power cable too late and manual handling of the cable.Automated valet parking is the world’s first autonomous SAE Level 4 parking service, and has been in operation at Stuttgart airport for almost 12 months.
The solution was designed to make it possible for several vehicles to be recharged and parked without human interaction, thus boosting the efficiency of parking and charging infrastructure.
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“Automation plays a key role in the mobility revolution and the transition to electromobility. Our two services – automated valet parking and automated valet charging – make the mobility experience much smoother for users,” said Manuel Maier, vice president of the Level 4 parking product, Bosch.
“Making it straightforward to recharge electric vehicles allays people’s misgivings about range, and is essential if electromobility is to find widespread acceptance. With this in mind, Bosch and Cariad can make parking and charging even more efficient and convenient.”
The companies hope to both increase customer convenience for EV drivers, while also helping automotive manufacturers, chargepoint operators, parking operators and other key industry players in the electromobility space to overcome industry challenges.
Reduced traffic congestion and carbon emissions are two of the major benefits of the solution, the companies explained.
Rolf Dubitzky, head of parking at Cariad, added: “We’re particularly pleased to be shaping the future of automated parking and charging together with Bosch.
“Our collaboration allows us to test the technologies at an early stage of vehicle development, so that the end product is reliable and offers customers the best possible user experience.”
