KATHMANDU: Hyundai Motor has officially launched pilot testing of its new AI-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging robot, named the Automatic Charging Robot (ACR), at the Incheon International Airport.
The project is a joint collaboration between Hyundai, Kia Motors and Incheon International Airport.
According to Hyundai, Incheon International Airport, which boasts the largest eco-friendly vehicle infrastructure in South Korea, was the ideal location for the pilot program.
Hyundai and Kia’s robotics labs have partnered to develop both the hardware and software necessary for the ACR’s operation.
“This marks an important step in our efforts to verify the practical value of future mobility technologies,” Yan Hee Won, President of Hyundai Motor’s R&D Division, said. “Through customized automatic charging solutions, we aim to offer users a more convenient and enhanced mobility experience.”
The pilot test will serve only the airport’s fleet of eco-friendly vehicles. Regular EV owners parking at the airport will not have access to the ACR system for now.
Hyundai’s move into automated charging follows earlier concepts introduced by Tesla. However, while Tesla has shifted its focus toward wireless inductive charging, Hyundai is advancing on robotic charging.
The ACR pilot project is considered a significant step toward realizing automated, user-friendly EV charging—particularly in high-traffic public environments.
