Analyst: Wireless charging of plug-in vehicles to become standard

Wireless charging of plug-in vehicles is to become standard, says Laura Marlino, deputy director at the power electronics and electrical power systems research center at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Marlino told Automotive Power Electronics conference-goers that, "We believe it's not a matter of if, but when wireless charging will be in all [plug-in] vehicles."

Marlino says that Oak Ridge, along with automakers and suppliers, has developed and tested technology that passes a 5-kW charge across a 10-inch gap of air with more than 90 percent efficiency. Inductive charging will dominate due to convenience, says Marlino.

Think of a mother of three children coming back from shopping with her arms full. It would not be surprising if she forgets to plug in her car.

Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Toyota, Delphi, WiTricity, Siemens and others are working on inductive charging and soon researchers at Oak Ridge will retrofit some Nissan Leafs with a wireless-charging setup to test the system in real-world conditions.

[Source: Ward's Auto]