Featured BMW Develops Pad to Wirelessly Charge Electric Cars

Apparently, Toyota decided not to do this, for some reason.

See Next-Gen Prius Plug-In Will Auto Park Over Wireless Chargers – News – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

Another link: Toyota Licenses Wireless Charging Technology for EVs and Plug-Ins – News – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

 

be still @wjtracy 's heart.

 

definitely not game changing, but by the time ev's become popular, it should be more efficient, lower cost and popular as well.
most who buy ev's now are not put out by plugging and unplugging.

 

Yes I like the idea, Toyota had me sold and then?
If @pEEf were still around maybe we could DIY some of this stuff.

 

3.5 hours will give you 3.2kWh from a 220 volt outlet with this for a 530e. A PHEV with 16 miles of EV range.
A Prime using a 220 volt outlet will be completely charged from 'empty' in 2.1 hours.

The pad is going to cost more than any level 2 EVSE, plus it adds cost to the car. I don't see these even being an option for non luxury models. We'll need to see some standards for wireless charging before these even become an option outside of home charging.

 

it's perfect for the suburban soccer dad.

 

There's already a company that's doing this called Plugless power. They've developed ones for the Tesla Model S, Chevy Volt, BMW i3, and Nissan Leaf.

Buy Plugless Wireless EV Charging

While I like the idea behind wireless charging an EV, I'm not a fan of the increased power usage due to less efficiency. Sure it might not amount to much in the short term, but over time you're wasting a lot of electricity this way to save a few seconds worth of plugging and unplugging it. Plus it costs way more to buy and install it vs a regular 240v EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) that you plug in.

On the other hand, if there was a set standard that every EV came with, and they were placed in parking lots in shopping centers, workplaces, and apartment complexes, then I could see this being more practical. Especially considering some public charging stations sometimes don't work or the cord was driven over too many times by careless drivers.

 

For when he's unloading all those kayaks, bicycles, and other gear, so doesn't have the time to plug the car in.

The main hurdle to public wireless charging is going to be cost. A business willing to install any charger as a lure for customers isn't going to spend the extra cash for a wireless one.

Until you start looking into the inefficiencies and added costs, it sounds great, like hydrogen for fuel.

That said, I can see home use systems being a draw for some more EV buyers.

 

The real enemy of BEV's is heat. For anyone that uses wireless charging in their phones knows that heat can be an issue. Wireless charging in cars would have to be for use in overnight charging where power amounts (and therefore heat) would be kept to a minimum. We aren't very close to high speed wireless charging in EV's yet.

 

Well it might solve the problem of dogs on leash and the J1772 cable.

Bob Wilson

 

Get smarter dogs, and train them to plug the car in for you.