BMW is close to presenting wireless charging on one of its automobiles– and this time, it does not involve phones. That function is currently there, however being able to wirelessly charge your car is new.
Actually it’s a big charging pad for a 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid. The BMW pad links to a 220-volt outlet, then the sensors on the car show you where to steer so the automobile can interact with the charger, as displayed in this video.
BMW says the 9.4 kWh battery in the 530e takes 3.5 hours to charge at 3.2 kW of power, or near to the level you would get if you simply plugged the automobile in with a cable.
A BMW North America representative told The Verge in an e-mail that the innovation illustrated in the video is still in the testing and examination phase for the US and Canada. It still requires UL approval, too.
In other nations, BMW plans to release the wireless charging system early next year, but only on the 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid sedan. Other iPerformance PHEVs– that consist of the 330e, 740e, and X5– in addition to the i3 and i8 electric vehicles are set to be provided with the system later.
While it’s still some years far from being even available here, and there’s no word on what it may cost when it does show up, BMW is still about to be among the first makers provide cordless vehicle charging from the factory on a model.
Wireless charging has turned into one of the biggest buzzwords for devices this fall, and its significance for transport shouldn’t be underestimated when firms and municipalities think about how we’re going to charge the electric vehicles of the future.
