Autocar, LLC, a manufacturer of severe-duty vocational trucks, is collaborating with Rocsys, a developer of hands-free charging solutions for electric vehicles, to bring hands-free charging capabilities for Autocar’s electric terminal tractors.

This alliance marks a first with the operational deployment of terminal tractors powered by hands-free charging at distribution centers, inland ports and other logistics facilities.

Providing hands-free charging for Autocar customers means they won’t have to piecemeal charging solutions together when they purchase EV trucks from us. All they need will come in one package – ‘always up’ EV trucks combined with non-manual charging set up for them onsite. By eliminating the need for manual intervention, hands-free charging ensures uninterrupted and efficient charging operations round the clock, enhancing fleet productivity and sustainability.

—Andrew Taitz, Chairman of Autocar

Autocar and Rocsys have already secured a pilot order from an Autocar National Account customer for support of its logistics operations.

Crijn Bouman, CEO and Co-founder of Rocsys, noted that hands-free charging not only streamlines charging processes but also minimizes wear and tear on charging cables and connectors, ensuring reliable and rapid charging for electric fleets.

Rocsys solutions are compatible with any high-power DC charging station utilizing a CCS-1 charging connector, facilitating seamless integration with existing charging infrastructure. Rocsys utilizes a combination of soft robotics, computer vision technology, and advanced AI to create a seamless charging process. Throughout the pilot, Rocsys will capture hundreds of images that their system will use to work towards a 99% successful plug-in rate before the delivery to customers.