Xiaomi is building the robot EV charger that Tesla couldn’t – and it could be here by the end of the year
Robotised arm automatically hooks up a charger to your EV
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Chinese tech firm Xiaomi just revealed a home EV charger that attached automatically using a robotic arm – just like the one Tesla failed to make a reality over a decade ago.
Now word on price yet, but the charger is expected to be available in China by the end of the year.
Xiaomi, the Chinese technology company that has expanded from smartphones to electric cars in the blink of an eye, has just revealed a robotic EV charger.
Designed for use with home chargers, like the one in your garage, Xiaomi’s new robotic arm automatically reaches out to your parked car, attaches the charge cable and starts the charge process.
Then, when the battery is full, the charger disconnects and moves away from your car, ready for you to leave. And instead of merely hanging there waiting for the next charge, the robotic arm tidily folds up into a box until it’s next needed.
If this sounds familiar then you’re likely thinking of a robotic charger arm revealed by Tesla back in 2015. The company showed off a functioning prototype, describing the arm like a “solid metal snake”. But, although not officially cancelled, information on the charger has since been removed from Tesla’s website and little has been said since the August 2015 demo.
Xiaomi’s version looks to be near-production ready – at least more so than Tesla’s prototype was – and will work with its SU7 and YU7 electric cars when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2026. Drivers won’t need to lift a finger, since once they’ve parked up the arm will swing into action and charge the car as needed.
It can also be controlled by a smartphone app, reports Car News China, which also cited Xiaomi as saying the demo was filmed in a real-world setting, suggesting that it’s almost production-ready.
No word yet on price, but we can imagine such a charger will be rather expensive – even though, at the equivalent of about £45,000, Xiaomi’s SU7 car is surprisingly affordable in its home market. It also isn’t clear if the robotic charger will work with other EVs or just those from Xiaomi.
Between this and Porsche’s upcoming wireless charger for its electric Cayenne SUV, it’s an interesting time for home EV chargers.
