The booming world of electric vehicles is gaining attention with every passing day. This is why an increasing number of players are diving into the segment to offer innovative solutions.
Inductive Charging, An Entirely New Domain
One such example is the recent development regarding charging EVs wirelessly. This technology seems to be an advanced version of the wireless smartphone charging process but on a much bigger scale.
Is It Similar To Smartphone Wireless Charging?
As smartphone batteries are much smaller, the wireless chargers required for them are small, but as the EV batteries are significantly larger they require bigger charging setups.
Who Is Working On The Technology?
Let’s now see the major players that are working in this field.
Yole Développement Playing Its Role
The recent development at the Power Electronics & Batteries at Yole Développement is headed by the principal analyst Milan Rosina. The organization is working on this technology to offer the world an entirely new approach towards EV battery charging.
WiTricity Trying To Pave The Way To A Greener Future
A company known as WiTricity is also working to offer its solution to those interested in making the shift to EVs.
According to research, the percentage of people interested in going for an EV increased from 35% to 59% when the potential buyers were told about the upcoming inductive wireless charging technology for EVs.
Hurdles In Development Of The Inductive Charging System?
The main difficulty being faced by the experts in the development of such a system is that while the principle of operation of wireless charging smartphones and EVs is somehow similar, they differ in the scale of operations.
Smartphones are in close contact with wireless chargers but EVs can’t do the same due to different dynamics of operation.
The high losses due to the large distance between the EV and the wireless charger prevent the system from becoming economically feasible.
Thus much more input is required into this technology than merely setting up an inductive wireless charger because the system has to be much stronger.
Magnetizable Concrete
Another technology that is still in its inception stage suggests that wireless inductive chargers be placed inside magnetizable concrete that automatically charges the EVs driving on it.
Will It Even Be Possible?
This might sound too outrageously absurd for now but just imagine that two decades ago we didn’t have a touch display and now everything in the world, inducing our refrigerators has one.
So, nothing can be too much to expect when it comes to the world of technology.
What Will Be The Charging Times?
According to experts and developers of the system, the charging times on the 3.3kW, 7.2 kW and 11kW systems will be the same, or nearly the same, as the wired variants.
However, only time will tell how far the different companies can fulfil their claims.
When Will The Technology Be Available?
While no set deadline has been provided by any stakeholder, it is being anticipated that the Hyundai backed Genesis luxury brand will be the first company in the world that will include this technology in its latest GV60 model.
According to some reports, BMW is also working hard to develop the technology for making it an integral part of its EV line-up.
Final Verdict
The huge investments required to incorporate the setup required for such inductive chargers remains one of the hurdles in propagating this technology in the forward direction.
However, with several companies putting in their best efforts it seems that the technology might not be as far from us as we anticipate.
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