The teledriving technology developer Elmo and the charging solution provider Elonroad announce the inauguration of the world’s first fully automatic charging station for teledriven cars, marking a significant milestone in sustainable transportation.

Located in the heart of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the charging facility was inaugurated as the world’s first for teledriven vehicles to charge on an automatic conductive rail. Elmo’s road-legal teledrivable Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, which received special retrofitting by Elonroad, were both presented during the automatic charging rail opening event.

Elmo, a leader in developing remotely controlled technology and its application in car-sharing, road safety and other sectors, needed fully automated charging systems to keep charging interruptions at a minimum, reduce the extra workforce and extra driving to and from Elmo’s HQ, to charge the teledriven cars where no physical person can go out and charge the vehicle manually.

“Humanless charging is vital for maintaining our leadership in the rapidly expanding teledriving sector. It underscores our strategic approach to remotely controlled vehicles and highlights the remarkable momentum that teledriving technology has built over the last year and a half,” said Enn Laansoo, Jr., Co-Founder of Elmo.

Elmo plans charging stations for teledriven car 

For electric vehicles equipped with teledriven technology, the reliance on cable-based charging systems presents significant operational challenges, underscoring the need for automatic charging. A first step in this direction is the inauguration of the automatic charging system in Tallinn, eliminating the need for human intervention, optimizing operational efficiency, and supporting seamless teledriven vehicle operations. In the future, Elmo plans to roll out more charging stations to support its technology licensing scaling globally.

“The project represents a perfect combination of the two megatrends of electrification and sharing economy.”
Karin Ebbinghaus, CEO of Elonroad

“We are now ready to assist Elmo and their partners as they scale their business,” says Karin Ebbinghaus, CEO of Elonroad. “It is very interesting for us to carry out this type of project in a country like Estonia, which is at the forefront of digitalization. Furthermore, the project represents a perfect combination of the two megatrends of electrification and sharing economy,” noted Ebbinghaus.

The project is co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

“Our funding of Elonroad’s charge stations reflects our strong belief in its potential to advance sustainable mobility. By automating EV charging and extending battery life, this technology reduces wait times and decreases reliance on raw materials for energy storage,” said Dr. Adriana Diaz, EIT Urban Mobility’s Interim Director of Innovation.

“We’re also excited to partner with ELMO, as Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) vehicles are crucial for transforming transportation. This forward-looking collaboration combines cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation in sustainable road transport, aligning with Europe’s vision to lead in CCAM innovation, enhancing mobility, reclaiming time, and improving road safety,” added Diaz.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Elmo is the Estonian company behind the world’s first road-legal tele-driving technology development that has been in operation in public car-sharing services since 2022. Additionally, technology is used in the road safety sector on TMA Truck.
• Elmo’s tele-drivable cars started daily operations on public streets in two cities in Estonia and Helsinki, Finland, and have gathered valuable experience from public streets of Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Lithuania, the US and other countries.
• Elonroad is a Swedish cleantech company specializing in conductive charging technology, offering automated dynamic and static solutions for electric vehicles. By integrating charging rails directly into the road, Elonroad enables vehicles to charge on the go and for logistic companies when they load or unload, boosting operational efficiency and reducing downtime.
• Elonroad’s charging solutions significantly decrease CO2 impact and lower the total cost of ownership by up to 40%. Elonroad is working on projects such as the first electric highway outside Paris in collaboration with VINCI.

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