Driving can be enjoyable, but parking and charging your car, especially in busy urban areas and airports, can often be a hassle. However, a solution might be on the horizon. VW's software subsidiary, Cariad, and Bosch are working together to develop technology that could ease the burden and provide everyday drivers with a taste of luxury, akin to having a personal chauffeur.
Their collaborative effort aims to create a system that not only parks your car in crowded lots but also ensures it's fully charged and ready for your next journey. While it's not quite ready for mass production, the two companies are offering a sneak peek of a working prototype at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, indicating that it may not be too far from becoming a reality.
Interestingly, the self-parking technology is not entirely new; it's the same system previously introduced by Mercedes a few years ago. This system has already been made available to German S-Class and EQS owners in 2022. It involves the installation of special sensors in parking garages, a project already completed at the P6 garage in Stuttgart Airport, with plans to equip other garages in Germany with the same technology. On the other hand, the charging robots, designed to autonomously connect your car to a charging cable, are still in the testing phase. However, it's worth noting that VW has previously showcased non-functional concepts of similar technology.
When this technology becomes fully operational, here's how it will work: You'll exit your vehicle at a designated drop-off point, and your car will independently seek out an available parking spot. If your car also needs a charge, it will navigate to a designated charging bay, where a robot will supply the necessary power. Once charging is complete, your car will move itself to a regular parking space until you're ready to retrieve it, freeing up the charging spot for the next electric vehicle in need.
Both companies report that the autonomous parking feature is currently undergoing trials at Cariad's parking garage in Ingolstadt, while Bosch is testing the automated valet charging functionality at its site in Ludwigsburg.
Source: Cariad
