Naas Technology in China has unveiled a robot capable of autonomously charging parked EVs.

How does the robot work? The robot looks small and compact, so that it can move best even in tight spaces, and it would reportedly have a waterproof and electroshock-proof “armor.”

What’s more, it would be equipped with 5G connectivity, thus capable of communicating with the nearest infrastructure and other vehicles.

Software installed in the robot allows it to be able to locate itself in an enclosed space and be able to reach a specific destination, in its specific case: any car to be recharged. Through a specific app, car owners would be able to book the robot’s charging service and make payment remotely. Once the order is sent, the robot detects the car, connects to the charging counter, and “fills up.”

The robot is currently in the testing phase, and there are no plans at the moment for mass production, which is however planned since NaaS would like to divert the use of the robot mainly to places such as airports and shopping malls, where owners could book the charging service a few hours in advance with the app, and use the service while engaged in other activities.

On-demand recharging is a popular mode that has had appreciation especially in Italy, where startups such as Reefilla and the Enel X Way and E-Gap’s made-to-order recharging proposal in holiday locations have had a large following. Will it be possible to be able to robot-recharge in the future?