OAK RIDGE TN – An increasing number of digital device owners are cutting cords, and relying on wireless chargers to power up smart phones and watches. It should come as no surprise, then, that wireless charging for hybrids and electric vehicle (EV) batteries may not be far off.
At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, scientists said they succeeded in wirelessly charging a “light-duty passenger vehicle” – Hyundai’s Kona EV model – with “the highest wireless power transfer level” achieved over an air gap. The laboratory announced the progress of its patented charger in a Tuesday (March 12, 2024) media release.
That’s seen as an important step forward in EV development, automotive and other market experts indicate.
Back in 2018, only 29 percent of national survey respondents said they used wireless chargers for a range of devices, The New York Times reported. A new analysis by San Francisco-based Grand View Research concludes the compounded demand for wireless charging, also known as magnetic induction, will annually grow by about 24 percent through 2030.
A primary driver of that scenario: “seamless and uncomplicated charging solutions” for EVs, Grand View states. The result, it added, could be a wireless charger market worth multiple billions of dollars over only a few years.
The laboratory’s device transferred 100-kilowatt power to the Hyundai with 96% efficiency, it said. Oak Ridge also claimed the ability to “increase battery charge state by 50% in under 20 minutes.”
The test represents “a breakthrough achievement,” according to laboratory representative Omer Onar, “and opens the door to fast and efficient wireless charging for passenger electric vehicles.”
For now, cords are king
Until wireless chargers become publicly plentiful, however, EV owners likely remain tied to charger cords. Some can charge from stations at home. Others must use chargers elsewhere.
If you’re in the latter category, a website called ChargeHub has a map that (using Pottstown zip code 19464) points to EV charging locations across western Montgomery, eastern Berks, and northern Chester counties in Pennsylvania. Use a zip code of your choice to find other locations, too.
Be aware: ChargeHub’s owners are in the business of selling home charging stations and accessories.
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2022 photo provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
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