Demonstrated by the Rocin-Eco consortium at the Ionity test site in Munich and featured in a new video, this technology represents a significant advancement in interoperable hands-free charging for electric vehicles, promising an improved customer experience.
The solution adheres to international standards (ISO and IEC) for automatic charging, enabling any car to charge automatically, regardless of brand or type. Rocsys plans to adopt this ecosystem by early 2025.
The Rocin-Eco consortium, comprising Rocsys, Ionity, Audi AG, TÜV SÜD, and partners like Porsche AG, BMW Group, Ford Motor Company, Marquardt Group, AVL, and Huber+Suhner, has been working on this technology since 2021. They have collaborated with standardisation bodies to ensure system interoperability.
The consortium is now shifting to product development, including prototype testing and initial rollouts.
Rocsys highlights that manual EV charging is slower and prone to operator errors compared to hands-free charging. Hands-free charging is seen as a crucial step towards electrified and autonomous mobility, especially for autonomous EV models like robotaxis, which currently rely on manual charging hubs.
Rocsys' hands-free charging technology is already in use across Europe and the US in ports and logistics operations, enhancing fleet reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Crijn Bouman, CEO and co-founder of Rocsys, stated: “Hands-free charging is an essential part of the future of electric and autonomous mobility. It is more reliable, more efficient, and safer. It’s been a pleasure to work with leaders in the auto industry in defining this standard and to see hands-free charging technology get closer to reaching the mainstream following its success we’ve seen in industry deployments to date.”
Source: Rocsys