Wireless charging

[Robospartan]

Ran across this article and noticed Tesla was unshockingly absent from the list of OEMs..... wonder if they have something already in the works

Charging electric cars is about to get a lot easier

 

[DonaldBecker]

Ran across this article and noticed Tesla was unshockingly absent from the list of OEMs..... wonder if they have something already in the works

Charging electric cars is about to get a lot easier

SAE J2954 - Wikipedia

The Wikipedia article says "demonstrated efficiency of around 85%", which presumably is just the efficiency of the inductive coupling system rather than the efficiency of the entire internal charging system.

This is far below the efficiency of wired chargers. Losing an extra 15% efficiency is a big deal, and that 15% turns into quite a bit of heat at a 11 kW charge rate. I don't mind inefficient wireless charging when it's only wasting a few watts while charging my phone. I do mind losing that power when it's measured in kWh.

 

[Electric700]

SAE J2954 - Wikipedia

The Wikipedia article says "demonstrated efficiency of around 85%", which presumably is just the efficiency of the inductive coupling system rather than the efficiency of the entire internal charging system.

This is far below the efficiency of wired chargers. Losing an extra 15% efficiency is a big deal, and that 15% turns into quite a bit of heat at a 11 kW charge rate. I don't mind inefficient wireless charging when it's only wasting a few watts while charging my phone. I do mind losing that power when it's measured in kWh.

The article says 94% efficiency. The number you quoted may be from quite a while back. Plugless Power has wireless charging, but I don't think they are actively installing these systems on cars this year.

From the article (link below, again):
"Charging efficiency is up to 94%, comparable to wired connections."

For the convenience offered, I would say it's worth it. Also it will help increase safety if the wires to the charging pad can be embedded / hidden nearby. Moreover, you eliminate the wear and tear of plugging in charger connectors, and you also eliminate the chance of getting debris in the connector. I use wireless charging for my phone all the time and I would love to see this technology universally applied to EVs.

I suspect efficiency may be able to be improved over time, perhaps getting higher than 98% efficiency compared to wired charging.

Link:
Charging electric cars is about to get a lot easier