You might already know about wireless charging for your phone, but have you ever thought about wirelessly charging your electric car? This idea isn’t as futuristic as it seems. Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, mentioned in a video with Jay Leno about the Cybertruck that Tesla is developing an inductive charger for home use.
However, this is Tesla, so when they say they’re “working” on something, it could mean it’s coming out soon, in a decade, or perhaps never. But whether or not Tesla is the first to market, wireless car charging could eventually become mainstream.
Wireless car charging works just like charging your phone wirelessly. The process uses electromagnetic induction to transfer electrical current. In simple terms, you have a transmitter (a charging pad) with a magnetic coil and a receiver (built into the car) with another magnetic coil. Aligning the coils allows the electric current to transfer and start charging.
Setting up a wireless charging system is a bit more complex. At home, you’d need a large pad to park over, which could be set up in your garage or carport. This pad would be connected to your home’s power. It could offer varying charge levels depending on whether it’s just plugged into an outlet or hardwired into your electrical system.
Your car would also need a built-in receiver to make this work. Currently, no EVs come with this feature. But once the technology rolls out, EV manufacturers will need to start integrating these receivers into their cars, hopefully using standardized systems.
If this wireless charging technology becomes available to consumers, we could reach a point where you never have to plug in your car at home. This tech could potentially eliminate range anxiety as well. Imagine parking lots equipped with wireless charging pads, allowing you to charge just by parking your car. Such widespread implementation is far off but would greatly improve convenience.
Even more ambitious would be charging while driving on wireless charging roads. This would mean you’d never run out of power, although such a scenario is very unlikely in the near future due to the high costs and logistical challenges.
Despite sounding futuristic, wireless charging can be fast. High-power inductive transmitters paired with fast-charging receivers can charge EVs quickly. Some companies have already seen charging speeds up to 20 kilowatts, which matches today’s Level 2 chargers, with the possibility of even higher speeds in the future.
Yet, there are many unanswered questions. A key concern is the cost of home wireless charging systems. Manufacturers need to strike a balance between price and charging speed. Like current wired solutions, faster wireless chargers will likely be more expensive. For many people, just being able to top off their EV after daily commutes and errands at a slower speed might be enough. However, those who drive long distances daily will likely prefer faster charging capabilities.