An automated recharging system includes an electric vehicle and a charging apparatus. The electric vehicle includes a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), a charging receptacle, and a first controller configured to monitor the status of the electric vehicle and the charge level of the RESS. The charging apparatus includes a charging plug configured to mate with the charging receptacle to recharge the RESS, and a movement mechanism to substantially align the charging plug with and insert it into the charging receptacle. The charging apparatus also includes a second controller to control the movement mechanism and to communicate with the first controller. The electric vehicle further includes an array of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags arranged around the charging receptacle, and the charging apparatus further includes a RFID reader configured to read the RFID tags to determine the location of the charging plug in relation to the charging receptacle.