From phones to computers to power tools, cutting cords is a sign of progress—and just like that, wireless charger for electric car could be a game changer.
With Tesla finally introducing a wireless inductive charging pad in various forward-looking statements of Wednesday’s Investment Day presentation, let’s take it for granted.
Tesla did not provide details on when and even if it might make the technology available to owners. But with the promise of daily charging without having to manage the charging connectors morning and evening, there could be a very good reason the company decided to include it in the list of glimpses. about his “interesting” future charging.
“We have to scale our infrastructure and yes, we want to power it through renewable sources,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s head of global charging infrastructure. create. “But we are Tesla; so we also want to make sure we’re continuing to focus on delivering a truly incredible charging experience.”
Tesla dining table and wireless charging dock
In the presentation slide, one side is what appears to be a new rendering of the Supercharger station and Southern California diner that Tesla has long teased. And on the other side of the slide is a wireless charging dock underneath a Tesla Model S parked in the garage.
It’s also a necessary piece of technology for self-driving cars—and a more elegant approach than charging solid prototype Tesla has shown in the past.
WiTricity, one of the leading companies focused on inductive EV charging for passenger vehicles, would not comment on whether the example shown with Tesla is theirs or a form of their licensed technology. However, the company has equipped both the Tesla Model 3 and Ford Mustang Mach-E with wireless charging technology for demonstration purposes, and it is the only company to offer this technology for external factory OEM application. Chinese with Genesis GV60 in the Korean home market.
BMW 5-Series plug-in hybrid wireless charging system
About five years ago BMW and Mercedes Benz both planned to offer the feature, but in the end both reversed course — with Mercedes’ offering no longer available and BMW limiting its ability to offer a 530e . plug-in hybrid rental-only trial program. But an SAE standard ratified in 2020 that ensures interoperability, plus interest and investment from multiple vendors — including Siemens, which has made a small investment in WiTricity — is done. help bring this technology closer to today’s market.
WiTricity and Siemens Wireless Charging Station
Tesla isn’t the only company that has made technology the focus of attention in recent months. At CES in January, Stellantis’ Ram truck brand introduced a Inductive charging robot that could enable hands-free charging without having to park the car in the same location every day.
WiTricity expects an inflection point in the market around 2025 or 2026, when it sees more luxury vehicles and later mass-market models offering the technology as a feature. or optional. But if Tesla were to widely adopt the technology by that time, it could significantly reduce the input costs for the technology.
Amy Barzdukas, marketing director at WiTricity, told Green Car Reports: “History has shown us that things that can connect wirelessly do.
And based on another piece of news that came out from Investment Day—that is Tesla will adopt two-way charging Barzdukas argues that the ability to use wireless charging makes even more sense.
“We have proven that wireless charging can work two-way; that’s increasingly the focus, and we see some great opportunities where wireless charging can play a role in stabilizing the grid, because it can enable passive V2G,” she said. “You don’t have to remember to plug it in to be able to get that support, whether it’s commercial or personal fleets, once the regulatory and utility issues are resolved.”
A study conducted last year for WiTricity among people who currently own an electric vehicle or intend to buy one within two years showed support. Two-way wireless charging is at the forefront of high-tech features—leader in self-driving capabilities, premium audio and parking assist. More than 75% of respondents said that they would install wireless charging in their driveway or garage.
Evatran Plugless Wireless Charger for Tesla Model S
That survey didn’t talk about cost, and although there were some aftermarket entries for Tesla vehicles, several thousand dollars for a pair of gaskets and related parts were among the factors that were banned until now. now.
Costs will drop dramatically as the technology is deployed in bulk, as materials improve and parts merge, Barzdukas adds.
“The price of a wireless charger in 2030 will be easily commensurate with a plug,” said WiTricity CEO.
Efficiency is important to Tesla owners, and it was one of the themes of the Investment Day presentation. So it’s worth pointing out that WiTricity’s technology gets 99% of the power it sends, from coil to coil, while its overall efficiency, from circuit box to car battery, is around 90% to 92%—in the same range as most chargers.
Tesla Model 3 equipped with WiTricity wireless charging system
Charging speed is also equivalent to wired. Last June, the company reported that the wireless charging system fitted to the Model 3 delivers about 10 kilowatts of power to the vehicle, which equates to about 48 miles of range per hour. At the time, the company noted that its wireless charging is not limited to 11 kW and may have higher wattage versions.
In the meantime, WiTricity plans to sell its setup in a aftermarket charging system for electric vehiclewith the expansion of the system’s early beta testing later this year.
And now that wireless charging technology has been linked to Tesla’s future — however fragile — expect it to appear on more options lists for electric vehicles of all brands soon.
