There is provided a cart. An electric motor generates a travel driving force based on a control signal from an external control unit configured to perform control related a travel path of the cart. A battery supplies power to the electric motor. An engine drives a power generator which is configured to be capable of charging the battery. A determination unit determines whether the engine is to be operated, based on a predetermined condition.

A robot apparatus for establishing a charging connection between a charging device and an energy storage unit of a motor vehicle, having a movement unit, by which the robot apparatus is movable in relation to the charging device and the motor vehicle, having a receptacle device, by which a charging element of the charging device can be received, can be coupled to a coupling element of the energy storage unit and subsequently released, and having a detection unit, by which a position of the coupling element on the motor vehicle is ascertainable, wherein the robot apparatus is connectable by a support device to the motor vehicle, whereby a force is transmittable from the robot apparatus to the motor vehicle.

A system and method for managing vehicle charging stations such that when at least two of a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations (also known as electric vehicle service equipment, or EVSE) occupied with vehicles awaiting a charge, the present system manages the charging of individual vehicles in cases where the aggregated demand for charging exceeds the capacity of the circuits supplying the plurality of EVSE. By cycling so that only a few of the vehicles are charging at a time, the demand on the circuits is kept below a predetermined limit. In cases where a load shedding event is in progress, the limit can be further reduced. In cases where the cost of electricity is varying dynamically, the system considers a driver's explicit charging requirements (if any) and preferences for opportunistic charging when the price of electricity is not too high.

An electric vehicle charging system includes a power distributing system configured to receive power from a power control system and selectively direct the power to one of a plurality of power dispensers coupled to the power distribution system.

The present disclosure relates to methods and associated systems for operating a battery exchange station. The present method includes (1) receiving a ratio associated with a plurality of vehicles served by the battery exchange station; and (2) based on the ratio, storing different sets of information in memories associated with the batteries respectively, in accordance with received ratio.

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.

An electric vehicle charging station charging electric vehicles dynamically responds to power limit messages. The charging station includes a charging port that is configured to electrically connect to an electric vehicle to provide power to charge that electric vehicle. The charging station also includes a power control unit coupled with the charging port, the power control unit configured to control an amount of power provided through the charging port. The charging station also includes a set of one or more charging station control modules that are configured to, in response to receipt of a message that indicates a request to limit an amount of power to an identified percentage and based on a history of power provided through the charging port over a period of time, cause the power control unit to limit the power provided through the charging port to the identified percentage.

Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles is described herein. The charging system includes multiple dispensers that each include one or more power modules that can supply power to any one of the dispensers at a time. A dispenser includes a first power bus that is switchably connected to one or more local power modules and switchably connected to one or more power modules located remotely in another dispenser. The one or more local power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus in the other dispenser. The dispenser includes a control unit that is to cause the local power modules and the remote power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the power modules between the dispenser and the other dispenser.

An EV charging control apparatus may include a controller receiving a charging approval message for an EV from a charging management server, starting a charging to the EV in response to the charging approval message, measuring and accumulating an amount of energy charged to the EV, recognizing a charging termination operation from a user of the EV or the EV, and deriving charging information based on the amount of energy charged in response to the charging termination operation, and a short-range wireless communication module establishing a connection with a short-range wireless communication module mounted on the EV, and transmitting the charging information to the EV

An example operation includes one or more of receiving, by a server, an energy transfer request from a charging station, determining, by the server, a current priority level of the at least one transport within an accessible range of the charging station, and responsive to the current priority level being below a threshold, sending an instruction to the at least one transport to transfer energy to the charging station based on the energy transfer request.