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Chinese start-up Zongmu eyes global expansion for self-driving EV ‘power bank’
- The autonomous driving start-up plans to launch the L4-capable FlashBot in Shanghai this year followed by other tier-one mainland cities
- The Shanghai-based start-up submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong stock exchange in March
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Zongmu Technology, a Shanghai-based autonomous driving start-up, has set its sights on commercialising an electric-vehicle (EV) charging robot in mainland China, with plans to expand overseas as early as this year.
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FlashBot, which has L4 autonomous driving capability and a capacity of 104 kilowatt hours, can address the growing demand for charging stations in the EV market, according to the company. The company envisages the self-driving robot to provide mobile charging services in car parks, streets and isolated places.
L4 capabilities allow a vehicle to operate without a driver’s active intervention.
“The concept of ‘FlashBot’ is akin to a ‘power bank’ for smartphones, and it offers a solution to the existing gap in the charging infrastructure,” said Tang Rui, CEO and founder of Zongmu, on the sidelines of BNP Paribas’ electric vehicle and mobility conference in Hong Kong on Monday.
There is an unmet need for electricity chargers amid a rising demand for EVs globally, he said, adding that a shortage of charging infrastructure is a pain point for many economies and slowing the uptake of EVs.
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