TL;DRXiaomi’s home robotic charging arm auto-plugs and unplugs your EV. Q4 2026 retail launch in China, no price yet.
Xiaomi has unveiled a robotic charging arm designed for residential garages that automatically plugs and unplugs an electric vehicle without any owner intervention. The system detects the vehicle’s position after parking, extends to the charging port, connects the cable, and retracts it once charging is complete or a preset battery level is reached. Xiaomi is targeting a Q4 2026 retail launch in China, though no price has been announced.
The concept is not new. In December 2014, Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla was working on a charger that “automatically moves out from the wall and connects like a solid metal snake.” Tesla demonstrated a functional prototype in August 2015, a multi-segmented robotic arm that located the charge port on a Model S and plugged itself in.
The product never shipped. Tesla has since pivoted to wireless charging, acquiring German startup Wiferion in 2023 and designing the Cybercab robotaxi without a physical charging port entirely. Xiaomi’s approach is more conventional but potentially more practical: a compact unit that works with existing plug-in standards rather than requiring new vehicle hardware.
