By Alimat Aliyeva

Hyundai Motor and Kia announced Thursday that they have partnered with Incheon International Airport for real-world testing of their AI-powered Automatic Charging Robot (ACR) for electric vehicles (EVs), Azernews reports.

Under a memorandum of understanding, the companies will conduct a pilot program of the ACR system at the airport, laying the foundation for broader adoption of robotic EV charging in airport environments.

Incheon International Airport, already home to the country’s largest eco-friendly vehicle infrastructure, plans to install 1,110 EV chargers by 2026, making it an ideal testing ground for this cutting-edge technology.

Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics Lab will provide both the hardware and software solutions for the pilot program, collaborating with airport officials to develop optimized service scenarios.

The airport will deploy the charging robots for its fleet of eco-friendly vehicles and collect user feedback to evaluate the system’s usability and overall effectiveness.

"This marks an important turning point in validating the practical value of future mobility technologies," said Yang Hee-won, president of Hyundai Motor's Research and Development division. "With customized automatic charging solutions, we aim to deliver a more convenient and enhanced mobility experience for users."

This collaboration could have far-reaching implications beyond airports. As electric vehicle adoption grows worldwide, robotic charging systems could help alleviate one of the biggest challenges of EV ownership — charging convenience. The AI-powered robots could one day be deployed in public spaces, parking lots, and even residential areas, revolutionizing the way we think about charging infrastructure.