BMW wants to cut the cable when it comes to charging its i3 and i8 models.
The German automaker has previewed its wireless inductive charging technology that it’s currently developing, ultimately allowing owners to charge their BMW electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids without having to plug them in. Utilizing an inductive coil placed on the floor of a garage or driveway, the system creates an electromagnetic field that excites a secondary coil found at the bottom of the vehicle.
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As a result, the alternating magnetic field generated between the coils allows the vehicle’s battery to be charged at a rate of 3.6 kW and at 90-percent efficiency without cables. The company noted that the technology is capable of fully charging the high-voltage batteries in many plug-in hybrids in under three hours. Currently, the system is capable of charging the BMW i8’s 7.1 kWh battery in less than two hours, but engineers are working to nearly double the charging rate for high-capacity batteries.
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