We didn't mention wireless EV charging in our explainer. Wireless charging works the same on cars as it does on phones, with higher power levels and larger batteries. The technology fell off the radar after some demos and news releases.
Engineers were working behind the scenes to create an industry standard. The first EV with factory-fit wireless charging systems are starting to appear in other parts of the world. The potential for adoption is good for drivers who can't imagine life beyond the gas pump.
Ars looked at wireless car charging in 2015. At the Formula E races back then, chip-maker Qualcomm was demonstrating a plug-in hybrid car, called the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid, which had a battery that could be charged from a safety car's battery. There were other outfits that were developing wireless charging. Toyota invested in a spinoff of the MIT that started playing with wireless car charging.
AdvertisementIn order to set a global standard, the Society of automotive Engineers set up a standards group.
He told Ars that he thought cables had been a mess. If wireless is the next thing, let's just do it one time. As a global standards organization, let's do it. In some ways, each company advanced the technology, but in a lot of ways, we had different architectures and that slowed things down.
The best aspects of each system were integrated over the course of a year after the acquisition of halo. It was done by October 2020. After the acquisition, we came to the industry with one architecture and one portfolio that anyone could license and consolidate the intellectual property from the two companies. The standard was approved and done less than a year and a half later.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
