CES 2024: Parking and charging

Together with Cariad, Stuttgart-based supplier Bosch has developed Automated Valet Charging, which will be presented for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week: The technology takes over the service and charges the electric car automatically while it is parked.

Bosch and Cariad, the software division of the VW Group, are currently testing the system in two of their own parking garages: the car drives itself to a parking space with a charging station, where a robot opens the charging flap and connects the plug. Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the car clears the charging space for the next process. The driver calls his car to him via smartphone when required.

Another system developed by the Stuttgart-based supplier and technology group is Driver Monitoring, which keeps an eye on the driver and vehicle interior using a camera and a radar sensor. Sensors are designed to prevent drivers from being distracted, driving under the influence of alcohol or forgetting babies in the passenger compartment. Bosch promises that this could prevent thousands of accidents and fatalities in the USA and Europe.

Another focus of development is on sustainable mobility. In addition to battery-electric drives, Bosch is also increasingly pursuing the topic of hydrogen. The US government is investing eight billion US dollars in so-called hydrogen hubs, where the development of the technology is being driven forward. "The H2 hubs are an important building block for the establishment of hydrogen," says Bosch North America boss Mike Mansuetti. China, South Korea and Japan are also investing heavily in the technology. This is because battery-electric drives have many disadvantages, especially in heavy trucks, such as the high battery weight and the fact that the charging infrastructure is still underdeveloped.

For Bosch, hydrogen is not only an option for climate-neutral mobility in fuel cell technology, but also as a direct fuel. The Stuttgart-based company is already supplying parts for hydrogen combustion engines. An engine that burns environmentally friendly hydrogen to produce pure water instead of diesel is due to go into series production in Europe this year. This would be an alternative to electric drives for heavy-duty transportation over long distances. (aum)