To alleviate the difficulty of charging electric vehicles in older residential communities and address the management challenge of public charging stations being occupied, a residential community in China has introduced a "mobile charging robot." Electric vehicle owners no longer need to worry about competing for charging spots. Simply place an order via a WeChat mini-program, and the "mobile charging robot" will locate the vehicle in need of charging. It can fully charge the vehicle in just 20 to 30 minutes, bringing technology deeper into people's daily lives and making electric vehicle charging more convenient in older residential communities.
Let's take a closer look at how things actually work.
The charging station for the community's "mobile charging robots" is located on the north side of Building 18. It features a fast-charging station with two charging nozzles, capable of simultaneously recharging two "mobile charging robots." The
rectangular "mobile charging robots" are equipped with large smart display screens at both the front and rear; a charging cable several meters long is wound at the rear and connected to the charging nozzle, and the unit is mounted on four wheels.
We randomly surveyed residents in the neighborhood and received feedback that this mobile charging robot has effectively solved the problem of charging electric vehicles in older communities. Although the neighborhood has four public charging stations, residents often have to wait in line and may never get a turn; by the time they return to charge their vehicles, their original parking spots may already be taken. The mobile charging robot can locate the target vehicle directly, which is incredibly convenient. Plus, it supports fast charging-it only takes about 20 minutes to fully charge the car. It doesn't take up time or space, and it really works well.
Since the start of 2024, companies such as Huawei, BMW, and Li Auto have successively demonstrated or launched automated charging robots equipped with features like automatic plug-and-play and sliding-track designs. These products are rapidly being piloted and deployed on a large scale across various settings, including highway service areas, commercial parking lots, older residential communities, and large-scale events. For example, State Grid Shanghai Electric has deployed smart mobile charging robots at the Fengjing Service Area on the G60 Shanghai-Kunming Expressway, while the Zhoujiadu Subdistrict in Shanghai has piloted the introduction of mobile charging robots in older residential communities and deployed three charging robots during the 2025 Wuzhen Summit. Guoxuan High-Tech's "Yijia Electric" service has expanded to 30 cities across China, with over a thousand units currently in operation.
The International Energy Agency forecasts that the market for mobile charging solutions will reach approximately $60 billion by 2030, with a new sector worth hundreds of billions of dollars rapidly emerging.
