BMW first to offer wireless car charging

Forget using a charge pad for your smartphone: the future will see cable-free charging for cars - according to BMW, anyway. 

The German manufacturer has just revealed a new wireless charging system for its cars - namely the BMW 530e iPerformance, which is a plug-in hybrid version of the 5 Series sedan. But now it won’t necessarily need to be plugged in to recharge its batteries.

BMW's new optional wireless system uses inductive charging requires owners to have a base pad (called the 'GroundPad') positioned in their driveway, work parking space or garage, and as soon as the car is parked above the pad, it will commence charging.

The car has a receiver ('CarPad') on the underside of the vehicle, and it has a charging power of 3.2kW.

The car has a receiver ('CarPad') on the underside of the vehicle, and it has a charging power of 3.2kW, which means the BMW 530e iPerformance model will be charged to full in 3.5 hours at European mains power outputs. 

The incredible thing is that BMW reckons the system has an efficiency rate of “around 85 per cent”, which is theoretically better than most wireless phone charging systems despite the fact there is no contact between the base pad and the receiver, which is approximately eight centimetres away.

The technical side of things, according to BMW: “The GroundPad generates a magnetic field. In the CarPad an electric current is induced, which then charges the high-voltage battery.” The car will even guide the driver to where they need to park using the car’s surround-view camera system and guidelines in order to ensure the correct position is met.

The car will even guide the driver to where they need to park using the car’s surround-view camera system.

It’s a very similar principal to the wireless phone charging pads such as Qi in-car charging, which is becoming more broadly available across a range of different vehicles and price points.

BMW claims the system is a “groundbreaking charging technology that greatly enhances the ease of use and everyday practicality of electrified vehicles” - a claim that seems justifiable. This technology will make EV owner's lives easier (trust us: if automotive journalists are any sort of yard stick, getting out and plugging your car in to a powerpoint after a long day at work is something that is easily forgotten or ignored). Just think how the world would be if we still had to get out of our cars to open the garage door: there'd be a lot of cars parked in driveways. 

Initially the system will only be available in Germany, then the UK, US, Japan and China, and it first be available to add to a purchase from July.

In the CarPad an electric current is induced, which then charges the high-voltage battery.

BMW Australia has advised the system will be piloted in those markets first, and that there is no timeline as yet for a local roll-out.

Would this sort of technology lure you towards an electric car? Tell us what you think in the comments below.