Ford Develops EV Robot Charger With University Of Dortmund, Helping Wheelchair Drivers

JAKARTA - Ford is one of the automotive companies that is serious about charging electric cars. Recently, Ford is rumored to be developing a new project together with the University of Dortmund in Germany.

As for the project, they will create a robotic charger that is expected to make it easier for disabled drivers to connect a charging cable to their vehicle.

Charging for electric vehicles can be difficult if you have to connect using a wheelchair, or for other reasons.

For these reasons, on the campus of the University of Dortmund, Ford made a charger that would be plugged in when the driver parked next to it.

The method is quite easy, based on the demo video uploaded, they just need to park their vehicle next to the charging machine, and open the application from their cellphone.

Launching The Drive, in this technology, the charging cable will be integrated into the robotic arm. After that, the machine will find the charging point through the camera mounted on the robot arm and adjust itself to be installed.

That way, the driver can stay in the vehicle without having to get out. They can let the robot do its job until charging is complete.

On the other hand, Ford Motor Co said it will import lower-cost lithium iron batteries for electric pickup trucks and North American SUVs from Chinese battery manufacturer CATL.

Vice President Ford. Lisa Drake, said they plan to secure lithium-iron batteries, or LFPs, from a new 40 GWh plant in North America starting in 2026.