Electric vehicle owners may soon be able to simply park and charge, no wires needed, with a new product under development from WiTricity. The company announced it plans a limited beta release of its Halo wireless charging station this year, with wider availability in 2023. WiTricity has already been providing top EV automakers with factory-installed EV wireless charging, and now plans to make a consumer-level aftermarket product.
The Halo can deliver 11kW wireless charging, enabling 35-40 driving range per hour of charging time, a speed and efficiency that meets today’s Level 2 AC plug-in charging rates. The system consists of three key components, including a power receiver installed on the vehicle, a wall box that connects to wired power, and a charging pad installed on (or in) the ground.
The system uses core magnetic resonance charging to power an EV. WiTricity’s charging system, peripheral systems, and controlling software have been awarded over 1,200 patents. The technology is has been instrumental in developing global wireless charging standards, including SAE International, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (GB).
A pilot Tesla Model 3 has been running fully on wireless charge in Watertown, Massachusetts since last October. The vehicle can be charged in full in less than six hours, just as fast as plugging in at home. The team is also actively upgrading a Ford Mustang Mach-E, among others, for wireless capability.
“Our successful upgrade of the Tesla Model 3 is resonating with consumers as an easier, more convenient way to charge their EVs,” said Alex Gruzen, CEO. “With the WiTricity Halo solution you just park and walk away, knowing you will return to a fully charged car. Day to day, it’s as if your car had infinite range, which will help accelerate EV adoption and propel us to a greener future.”
The company said it is currently evaluating which models to offer wireless upgrades for, basing the decision on customer demand, technical feasibility, and automaker support. Those interested in the beta program can follow on the WiTricity website.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
This may be the smartest way to go for all future EV’s….even with the slight drop in efficiency.
A recent story of an EV charging station that had been vandalized (and all of the cables stolen), is another reason to go wireless…since most (if not all) of the hardware is underground and thus inaccessible. Remember too that EV chargers do not have an attendant on the premises, unlike most “gas stations” do now.
Mecedes had this option eight years ago for its EVs. Why did it not work for them after they announced they had this for home garage floors. Could it have been the extra money it would cost just because someone does not want to just plug it in? or was it because if an ICE car pulled over the induction plate, the car would get hot and melt.
The system developed years ago is years old and designed for home use….this is new tech..it would not start unless it was needed and turned on.