Cameras, laser scanners and ultrasonic sensors help the bots both navigate parking areas and find a car’s charging port. Several of these machines could operate in a single garage.

VW said it hadn’t “yet” decided on a possible release date for the charging robot. A rollout would likely depend on a number of factors, including the ability to recognize and use various charging ports. These bots wouldn’t be very useful if they only supported VW-made cars, after all.

Technology like this could be vital whenever it does arrive. If EVs are going to dominate the market, there will need to be enough chargers to go around — and it won’t be realistic to outfit every parking spot with a dedicated station. This could ensure that there’s always a recharge available when you need it, even in parking garages where dedicated charging spots would be impractical.