A study by US based Pew Research Center found that education, experience, and better charging options will propel EV adoption amongst U.S. consumers.
KEY POINTS
Wireless charging as an alternative to plugging in
EV batteries could also be charged without plugging in a bulky cable.
Wireless charging is more efficient than conventional cable charging.
The Genesis GV60 will be the first to introduce a wireless charging option.
Since many of us now charge our smartphones and earphones without cables, placing them on a wireless charging pad at the end of each day, an obvious question from electric car drivers presents itself – can we do the same with an EV?
At a technical level, the answer is yes. Electric cars use the same lithium-ion battery technology as devices like smartphones, so if equipped accordingly their batteries could also be charged without plugging in a bulky cable. Handy if it's raining, or for on-street parking where installing chargers at the roadside isn't convenient. This infrastructure means no charging cable – potentially hazardous for other road or pavement users – and no lamp-post charging and is only activated when an EV parks over it.
Now most of us would think they have to plug in an electric car to get the most efficient charging possible, but that’s not true. No charging method is 100% efficient. Conventional chargers are typically 88% to 95% efficient. Wireless charging is right in the middle of that range at 90% to 93% efficiency. That means it does as good a job of transferring electricity from the charger to a car’s battery as most conventional charging equipment that uses a cord.
Automaker availability of wireless charging has been long-anticipated but slow to roll out. Globally, the Genesis GV60 might be the first or one of the first to come with the tech from the factory for at least some markets. BMW has also been conducting a test of 5-Series plug-in hybrids equipped for wireless charging.
The establishment of a single standard for Level 2–power wireless charging also set some pieces for more widespread adoption in place last year. Other projects are working on wireless charging at the rate of DC fast-charging, but haven't moved beyond the laboratory phase yet.
It's sometimes easy to dismiss wireless charging as a gimmick – after all, you don't really need to charge your phone without a cable. Similarly, jumping out and plugging in an electric car only takes a few seconds.
It is clear that charging issues overall are one of the major barriers for EV adoption, and wireless charging can significantly help to reduce those barriers. The availability of wireless charging will increase purchase intent, will bring new owners to EVs, and will help expand the market beyond today’s early adopters. So, if chargers can be embedded into residential, commercial parking areas and roads, the impact could be revolutionary and end any range anxiety forever.
This is only one of many examples of the enormous amount of innovation being developed for EVs, one would have to say the industry is leaving no stone unturned to make this transition as seamless as possible. The future for EVs is looking bright.
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