Plugless Charging

[eisbock]

Have we really gotten that lazy as a society that plugging in a cord is so much of a hassle that it needs to be "improved" upon with wireless charging?

We are definitely in the decline of our civilization, no doubt about it.

Wireless charging is the pinnacle of refueling technology and advancement, assuming it's financially feasible.

Ideally, you shouldn't have to ever so much as think about refueling your car. It should be done automatically. The fact that we still have to worry about remembering to refuel and actively do something to initiate the refuel means the technology isn't perfect. In an ideal world, you do your daily driving, come home, park in your garage, and that's that.

Your argument is ridiculous and advocates pursuing evolution and advancement part-way, then looking back, clapping the dirt off your hands and muttering, "Welp, good enough."

 

[timk225]

We haven't needed automated refueling in over 100 years of gasoline engine cars. Pull into a gas station, tank up, and be on your way. Simple, efficient, effective.

No one ever designed an automated home refueling system drawing from a 1000 gallon underground tank in your back yard, so why with electric cars is it now such an issue?

Next thing, it'll be too much hassle to get out of the car and walk into the house, people will want car seats that come out and haul the people in, like in The Jetsons.

 

[JeffK]

We haven't needed automated refueling in over 100 years of gasoline engine cars.

Actually until recently there were full service gas stations everywhere. In certain states like Oregon it's illegal to fill up your own gas tank. It really depends on your definition of automated since as a driver I wouldn't be refueling my own tank. I still have to drive out of my way to get to a gas station which is a pain in the butt as there are no gas stations on a direct path from my house to my work.

 

[Garlan Garner]

We haven't needed automated refueling in over 100 years of gasoline engine cars. Pull into a gas station, tank up, and be on your way. Simple, efficient, effective.

No one ever designed an automated home refueling system drawing from a 1000 gallon underground tank in your back yard, so why with electric cars is it now such an issue?

Next thing, it'll be too much hassle to get out of the car and walk into the house, people will want car seats that come out and haul the people in, like in The Jetsons.

Fantastically written.

I'm wondering how anybody drives ICE cars today since they are so hard to manage and drive.

 

[JoeCoolMan24]

We haven't needed automated refueling in over 100 years of gasoline engine cars. Pull into a gas station, tank up, and be on your way. Simple, efficient, effective.

No one ever designed an automated home refueling system drawing from a 1000 gallon underground tank in your back yard, so why with electric cars is it now such an issue?

Next thing, it'll be too much hassle to get out of the car and walk into the house, people will want car seats that come out and haul the people in, like in The Jetsons.

Right because those two ideas are so similar....??

 

[Jayc]

I would be willing to give up a few percentage points of efficiency for the convenience of not plugin in. Ideally I would have the induction plate fixed/buried on my driveway and it would switch on and off on demand. Convenience + no cables hanging around for kids in the neighborhood to play with.

If you are one who sees no benefit - well you are lucky. For everyone else, going wireless/plugless is one more "feature" we can hopefully enjoy in the coming years.

 

[EaglesPDX]

Heya NeverFollow - thanks for your interest in Plugless.

Steve,

Based on the experience with the Tesla S, how long after it is out will Plugless have an adaptor for Tesla 3?

The cord plug-in is impractical in my situation so the "egg" of the Plugless setup has to come before the Tesla 3 "chicken".

 

[cronosx]

Steve,

Based on the experience with the Tesla S, how long after it is out will Plugless have an adaptor for Tesla 3?

The cord plug-in is impractical in my situation so the "egg" of the Plugless setup has to come before the Tesla 3 "chicken".

Since for the making of the plugless adapter they need a model 3, i would say that che chicken come first.
Now, if you are the last in line at the moment maybe your car can be so late that they could make the adapter before you get the car, but i would not count on it.

The only change you have is if tesla decide to make the plugless for herself since they could use it for the "autonomous" charging at home where the "snake charger" is more hard than a plugless version and since the charging rate at home is relatively low, but again.. i think is unlikely

 

[22522]

i think is unlikely

I don't know about that. That would be really good business. Is there a place where Tesla puts clearing house opportunities for suppliers. People bringing actual manufacturing capability rather solely human resources?

 

[cronosx]

I really don't understand what you said ( i'm not a native english speaker, so maybe the problem lies here ), can you explain better?

 

[modamoda]

Also, this one is pretty interesting wireless charging technology. Just drive through the "charging lane", and your car will be charged!

England will test electric car charging lanes

 

[Johan]

Also, this one is pretty interesting wireless charging technology. Just drive through the "charging lane", and your car will be charged!

England will test electric car charging lanes

Good to hear about some real world trials in this field.

By the way the guy in the Cnet video had a fun take on it.

 

[cronosx]

This would be really really great, but for a lot of years ( at least 10 ) i would say it's really unlikely.
They didn't agree on a stupid connector, this would means that the entire europe will uniform on this ( for the america maybe it's not so hard as it is in europe ), and then, you should do this on all the highways, and this is the hardest part.

The ev-lane is good if you have a small battery, since for getting the ev mainstream we need larger battery there is no need of an ev-lane ( the egg and the chicken problem ).

 

[22522]

I really don't understand what you said ( i'm not a native english speaker, so maybe the problem lies here ), can you explain better?

No, the problem is not there.
Sure:

1. Elon says they are going to do the obvious thing (make the Model 3 autonomous - a robot)
2. Elon said folks are going to have to charge the car where they charge their phone - at home.
3. As you pointed out, if the car is a robot you don't need a robot snake to charge the car. Let's say that Elon is surrounded by really smart people and has a firm grasp on the obvious. So this is obvious, too.

Therefore, since Tesla is going to do the obvious thing, the Model 3 will automatically plug itself in each night. One of these threads says the location of the charging port is not yet defined ( it is in the trunk for now as a cord or something ). So Tesla is probably planning to have the car robotically back into a charging post.

The last part is that I am a minion (as in Maxxis Minion Minion DHF | Maxxis Tires USA ) at a company that, I am pretty sure, could execute and deliver that functionality (in cooperation with Tesla) to deliver better results than any other path they could choose.

Specifically, Tesla is served well if that function is delivered in such a way that apartment dwellers can purchase Tesla Model 3 vehicles and charge them every night at home. This opens up a significant new market for Tesla vehicles - they actively discourage deposits/purchase by people with no access to overnight charging today. But the solution to this market requires a combination of technology, commercial and political skills.

I am a minion (as in Maxxis Minion see link above) at a company that, I am pretty sure, could execute this market opening plan better than any other.

I think this addresses most of what you asked.

 

[Johann Koeber]

I am curious:
If plugless charging is about 90 % efficient, where do the 10 % go?

As we know energy doesn't just disappear. Mostly it gets turned to heat. At SC power levels of >100 kW this is more than 10 kW - a lot of heat. Is it dissipated in the charger? Or the car?

Just trying to understand how this works.

 

[Johan]

I am curious:
If plugless charging is about 90 % efficient, where do the 10 % go?

As we know energy doesn't just disappear. Mostly it gets turned to heat. At SC power levels of >100 kW this is more than 10 kW - a lot of heat. Is it dissipated in the charger? Or the car?

Just trying to understand how this works.

Since the charger is going to be in the car and this is where the induction happens, and the conversion from AC to DC, this is where the waste heat is going appear (and the need to dissipate this heat effectively while driving). In a Supercharger for example, you've got a lot of the waste heat being generated (from the AC to DC conversion) outside of the car, in the Supercharging cabinet, but with inductive charging the electricity has to be "transferred" from the road/induction unit in the form of AC since it's this oscillation-resonance phenomenon that makes the "wireless" charging possible.

 

[Canuck]

Therefore, since Tesla is going to do the obvious thing, the Model 3 will automatically plug itself in each night

The leap you make to get here is too big in my opinion. They're already squeezed on the cost issue and to introduce the robotic snake or induction to the masses is a recipe for disaster. Tesla needs to keep the Model 3 simple and free of problems. I've never been concerned at all about plugging in my Tesla and Leaf in the 2+ years I have owned them. It's a blessing compared to going to the gas station.

 

[22522]

The leap you make to get here is too big in my opinion. They're already squeezed on the cost issue and to introduce the robotic snake or induction to the masses is a recipe for disaster. Tesla needs to keep the Model 3 simple and free of problems. I've never been concerned at all about plugging in my Tesla and Leaf in the 2+ years I have owned them. It's a blessing compared to going to the gas station.

I have to agree.

Save a spot/cooling/power port and let it be an option. Don't put it on the critical path. And don't use first generation induction where the car side weighs 35 lbs. The car side should cost about $112. Price $250.

 

[cronosx]

I have to agree.

Save a spot/cooling/power port and let it be an option. Don't put it on the critical path. And don't use first generation induction where the car side weighs 35 lbs. The car side should cost about $112. Price $250.

Usually i'm good at reading what people want to say.. but damn.. half what you say contradict you other post, and then it seems you don't make sense.

What in the hell is a spot/cooling/power port? do you mean the charging port? or the plugless charger in the car?
If you mean the charging port it make no sense to be an option.. is of course needed for the supercharger/charing where you don't have the plugless charger.
If you mean the plugless charger, of course it need to be an option.

Then you said "Don't put it on the critical path", what does that mean? that since it's an option this would not cause problem? this of course is a non-sense, if it's tesla branded, then it could make problem for them and it need to be developed and manteined.

"Don't use first generation induction" what does that means? what is a first generation induction? there is not such a thing as "first generation" or "second generation" or similar..
then you start talking about car side end weight.. what are you talking about? the weight of the plugless charger? and side of what? front/rear? and what should cost 112? the choosing of the side? and how this could cost 250.. and WHAT cost 250?

 

[Johan]

Usually i'm good at reading what people want to say.. but damn.. half what you say contradict you other post, and then it seems you don't make sense.

What in the hell is a spot/cooling/power port? do you mean the charging port? or the plugless charger in the car?
If you mean the charging port it make no sense to be an option.. is of course needed for the supercharger/charing where you don't have the plugless charger.
If you mean the plugless charger, of course it need to be an option.

Then you said "Don't put it on the critical path", what does that mean? that since it's an option this would not cause problem? this of course is a non-sense, if it's tesla branded, then it could make problem for them and it need to be developed and manteined.

"Don't use first generation induction" what does that means? what is a first generation induction? there is not such a thing as "first generation" or "second generation" or similar..
then you start talking about car side end weight.. what are you talking about? the weight of the plugless charger? and side of what? front/rear? and what should cost 112? the choosing of the side? and how this could cost 250.. and WHAT cost 250?

He means:
1) make it optional (make space for induction coil in designing the vehicle but make it optional to install the coil and the attached cabling and cooling)
2) wait for the technology to mature more (get better, with less losses)
3) Wait until the hardware can be built at a cost of 112 dollars to Tesla, and sell it to the customer for 250 (100% margin)

I kind of agree.