This Lotus Robotic EV Charger Has Up to 500 kW Charging Rate

The Auto Shanghai is one of the most prestigious auto shows in the region. For this year’s edition, the auto show has hosted a slew of new car launches, as well as some concept model previews, covering almost every major automaker from around the globe.

Aside from car launches and prototype previews, the Auto Shanghai 2023 also granted some automakers a chance to showcase some of their latest auto-related techs.

Lotus's new 500 kW robotic charger showcased at Auto Shanghai 2023. Photo Credit: Autocar UK

One of those automakers is Lotus, where it previews the all-new EV charging station. This futuristic charging station utilises robotics technology to create an automated charging port for EVs. The station uses a robotic arm that guides the charging connector to the vehicle’s charging port – which is somewhat similar to what Hyundai has previewed earlier this year.

In this video posted via Autocar’s official Twitter account, the Lotus’s robotic charger is demonstrated charging up the Lotus Eletre EV SUV, where it opens up to reveal the robotic charging arm. At the same time, the Eletre’s charging port is also automatically open, allowing the robotic arm to guide the plug into the car’s charging port with ease.

Unique to the Lotus’s EV charger is the presence of a track to navigate the movement of the robotic charging arm, which indicates that it can cater to many types of EVs, as all of them come with different charging port locations.

In terms of capacity, Lotus claims this charger is capable of a 500 kW charging rate – twice the capacity of Tesla’s DC fast charger. 

As reported by Autocar UK, this charging port from Lotus has yet to have its own moniker, while the plan to sell and distribute 50 units of them in China is already underway. However, the automaker remains tight-lipped about the charger’s availability in other key EV markets like Europe and North America.

As exorbitant as it sounds, a 500 kW EV charging rate is the new gold standard for any EV chargers out there. Aside from Lotus, Chinese EV giant Nio also just launched a few of its 500 kW chargers in 12 cities across China, including Shanghai.  With Lotus set to follow suit, a 500 kW charging station will lose its overkill status in no time.