Recharging your electrified car could get even easier – if BMW’s new wireless charger catches on.
The industry-first, which is being sold under the manufacturer’s ‘i’ division and covers all of its hybrid and electric vehicles, is now available in Germany as a leasing option for its 530e iPerformance hybrid saloon, with a UK introduction to follow shortly.
It consists of two components – a ‘GroundPad’ charger and ‘CarPad’ receiver fitted to the underside of the vehicle – and is a simple system that works similarly to wireless chargers for smartphones. Drivers simply park the front of the car over the GroundPad and the battery will begin to charge with no extra input needed.
Placing the car over the GroundPad is easy, too. On-board wifi in the pad communicates with the vehicle to show an overhead camera display on its infotainment screen, allowing for precise parking.
With 3.2kW of charging power available, the pad can take the hybrid’s battery from zero to full capacity in around three and a half hours, and the system automatically turns off when fully charged to save energy.
Fearful of harsh weather interrupting your charging? That’s not a problem either, as the system has been designed to work in rain and snow, meaning wireless charging all year round.
.@BMWi launches the world’s first factory-fitted fully integrated inductive charging facility for the high-voltage #battery in a plug-in #hybrid vehicle, utilising #electromagnetic fields. #BMWGroup #BMWi #next100
Read more here: https://t.co/kAKXgViU9e pic.twitter.com/z5xGKlOyxF
— BMW Group (@BMWGroup) May 28, 2018
It will, however, switch off if ‘foreign matters’ are detected – so it shouldn’t attempt to recharge the cat if it decides to take a nap on the pad.