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

The self-centring connector can compensate for horizontal misalignments of several centimetres as well as slight tilts (pitch and roll). A large cone helps to align the contacts, lifting up to a maximum height of 250 mm. The connector has a large conductor cross-section for a high current-carrying capacity, starting with 22 kW AC home chargers and 50 kW DC chargers, but it also supports higher power for fast charging, although that is not yet supported in systems for the home. Other approaches use existing CCS charging connectors and cables, and are designed to work with any type of EV, from a passenger car to a delivery vehicle or even a large truck. “Depending on the type of vehicle, from sportscars to trucks, the charging ports are installed in different places on the vehicle and at different heights,” says Stefan Perras at the Siemens Technology research unit. “Sometimes they’re also tilted slightly upward, and the vehicles don’t always park at the same distance from the charging station, or they stop at a slight angle. “The way the charging connector has to move in to connect to the port depends on all these factors. To make it work, we use optical sensors and AI that we’ve trained to recognise different charging ports in images and to determine their precise position and orientation. We use that data to calculate how the robot needs to move to connect the car to the charger, and the axes are controlled by our own automation technology.” To accommodate these different types of vehicles, with charging points in different places and at different heights, one prototype system uses a linear motor positioning system and computer vision. This requires the vehicle to park in a specific place, and the linear motors position the connector in the x and y directions, guided by the vision system that targets the open connector port. An arm with the CCS connector then extends out to the vehicle to make the connection. The linear motors can handle any height or distance in the x and y directions, and are limited only by the length of the cable connecting to the charger. This can provide up to 1 MW fast charging using the same charging and comms technologies that are implemented in modern fast chargers. Conclusion As the power requirements of charging systems increase and charging cables get heavier, so automated systems are becoming increasingly important. Wireless charging systems provide convenience but can struggle with the power levels needed for trucks and buses, while the Megawatt Charging System is a key method of simplifying the charging process for these vehicles. But automated systems are also being aimed at the home charger market, with new actuator technology to simplify the process with consumer technology. Deep insight | Automated charging An automated charging system for large trucks (Courtesy of Siemens) 62 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering