E-Mobility Engineering 015 l EMotive Scarab off-road truck dossier l In Conversation: Giulio Ornella l Hall effect and magnetic sensors focus l Challenge of batteries for heavy-duty EVs l Alpha Motor Corporation digest l Automated charging insight l HVAC systems focus

Nick Flaherty explains how higher charging requirements are leading to di erent approaches to automating the process Self-developments D evelopers of charging systems are looking to address key challenges for fast charging and higher capacity battery packs, and this is leading to automated charging systems. Several companies are developing such systems to provide more convenient charging with higher current capabilities through cabled systems. Applications range from large mining equipment that needs to have huge battery packs charged quickly, to trucks with large packs and an increasingly standardised connector in a set position. Standardising the connector position is opening up the standardisation of automated systems but brings challenges in making the technology cost-effective. At the same time, the technology is moving into the home and consumer markets, in domestic garages and for disabled drivers at public charging points. Part of the impetus for developing automated systems is the weight of the charging cable. The higher currents for fast charging mean they have to be liquid-cooled, which makes them heavier and limits their practical length. As chargers extend beyond 350 kW, this will become even more of an issue for large EVs. Depending on the use case there will be different versions for trucks, buses and consumer vehicles. Charger makers believe there are issues with wireless inductive charging that are limited in power. At charging levels of several hundred kilowatts, the size of the coil becomes difficult to integrate, and there are also potential IP issues with a leading provider who owns key patents. While the basic power transfer works well, a lot of additional electronics is required for safety, and developers say they see no clear standards. Car makers are allocating space for the inductive coil then using an underbody connector with a robot arm. However, the location of the arm is new and the cars have to be modified, and there is no standard for that – there are around 20 companies that all have ideas about the connector. There are also robustness issues with the robot arm under the vehicle. One charger designer sees the only way to provide automated charging is to use the existing charging inlet and to build a cheap, small robot for a low- cost production system. This is not a system of linear motors such as that built by Siemens for charging, but a series of actuators that hold the existing cable and connector that can automatically plug in and out of a vehicle. This can easily scale to high power, starting with home power AC chargers in a controlled environment such as a garage and then moving to trucks and fleets. This needs new actuators rather than use precision motors with high torque, reducing the number of parts but still provide five degrees of freedom. Using a mobile robot is one way to bring a heavy charging cable to a vehicle (Courtesy of Alveri) 56 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering