The Future of Electric Cars : Wireless Charging
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Would wireless charging encourage you make the switch from your regular car to an electric model? If so, the time to give up fuel cars could be closer than you think.
The futuristic charging method is expected to hit the UK by 2017, says manufacturers who are developing the technology.
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| BMW to become official vehicle supplier. Image: BMW i8 |
The company working on the new method, Qualcomm Halo has been perfecting the system for years and finally unveiled the technology in a prototype version fitted in the BMW i8 and i3 models. The cars unveiled will be used for the new race in Beijing named Formula E (which you can read more about here) as in fast paced high pressure situations plug in charging wouldn't be suitable.
The system will work by a two charging pad method, one on the ground and one connected to the vehicle, a current is sent through the ground pad and creates a magnetic field, which then in turn charges the car. The earliest use of a similar technology dates as far back as the 19th century, and the method is easy to reproduce in small does, yet the method for this scale isn't as simple.
It isn't yet clear how far off wireless charging is for the public or how affordable the technology will be but it's expected to become standard with luxury vehicles and then will slowly become standard for the more standard market.
