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Rivian Patents Automated EV Charging ConnectorRivian Patents Automated EV Charging Connector

The innovative EV maker has designed a system to automate charging of the Amazon delivery vans it is building.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

May 24, 2022

2 Min Read
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Image courtesy of Amazon

Centralized charging and short trips make delivery vans like the ones that Rivian is building for Amazon an appealing application for electrification. But when the fleet of vans returns to the depot in need of recharging, that chore could be time- and labor-intensive, as each van must be plugged in in turn and then disconnected to charge the next one.

“It may be beneficial to have a fleet of delivery trucks that all charge during overnight hours, to be deployed during the day for deliveries,” says Rivian’s patent application, “Automated Plug-In System and Method.”

Rivian sees a solution in its newly patented design for an automated connector that employs electromagnets to draw the charge plug to the van’s port and an electric screw system to cinch down the connection.

Rivian envisions a system where the charge cables dangle from above, positioned so that the plug falls within three inches of the van’s charge port. Power-operated charge port doors will open automatically to expose the port for access.

The system uses a standard Combined Charging System connection so that the vehicles can be charged using standard SAE Level 2 AC charging or DC fast charging. The connectors include a few important additional features that let them connect to the trucks automatically.

Related:Amazon Rolls Out its First Electric Delivery Van

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There are four electromagnets in the connector plug for the automated charging system, with four corresponding electromagnets located in the vehicle’s charging port. These magnets are activated with opposite polarities, attracting the plug to the port.

Once it makes physical contact, the plug includes connecting screws that align with conical recievers on the port that guide these screws to threaded holes. Once in place, the screws automatically tighten to pull the plug securely into the port for charging. At this point, the vehicle can be charged using battery-friendly AC charging or time-saving DC fast charging.

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When charging is complete, the system reverses the screws in the connector, pushing the plug out of the receiver. Then the electromagnets activate again, this time using the same polarity rather than opposing polarity, pushing the dangling charge cable clear of the vehicle, which then automatically closes the door covering the charging port.

Then the system moves on to charge the next vehicle, all with the need for human intervention. “Relying on humans to plug in an electric vehicle after the vehicle has been parked is an inherently unreliable process,” notes Rivian’s patent application. “For business operations, an uncharged vehicle may equate to a loss of revenue,” the application concludes.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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