Electric Car Charging System Developed in Hungary

Budapest-based GANZ Switch and Device Manufacturing Ltd. (GANZ KK) and the University of Dunaújváros have developed an automated, robotic and remote-controlled system for group charging of e-cars, GANZ KK told MTI.

The project, which is a significant innovation on an international level, received HUF 796 million in funding from the National Research Development and Innovation Fund. The total cost of development is HUF 1.1 billion.

According to the information, the charging system is able to identify vehicles parked in the right way, select the charging socket and connect and disconnect it from the vehicle with its robotic arm, without the touch of a human hand. As a single charging container can serve up to four vehicles at a time, the system can also be used to help companies optimize charging time according to the specificities of their energy system. In other words, charging when it is most economical for them.

The main result of the project is shape recognition under sub-optimal lighting conditions: the recognition of a shape, the charging socket, fading into the background of a black charging aperture. Although various robotic arms are already available on the market, without this technique, the robotic arm that moves the charging socket would not be programmable, they said, adding that an international patent has been registered for this mechanism.

According to the information provided, not only the complete finished product but also its individual modules would be sold separately, which would shorten the payback period of the investment. However, they declined to provide information on the expected revenues.

Ganz KK is a 100 % Hungarian-owned company. Its low-voltage electrical switchgear is used as control and protection components in power generation and distribution, in the mechanical engineering, construction and chemical industries, in agriculture and in households.