EV Battery Charging Manufacturer CTEK Enters Agreement With WiTricity To Commercialize Wireless Charging
One of the top electric vehicle (EV) battery charger manufacturers out there currently, CTEK Corporation, has entered into agreement with the wireless charging company WiTricity to commercialize the company’s high-performance wireless charging systems, according to recent reports.
The patent license agreement between the two companies will see WiTricity’s technology used to create + offer wireless charging systems for a variety of different automotive applications.
Applications of the technologies in question include the creation of systems allowing for EV charging simply by parking in your garage — no wires needed, just park your car and leave it there, and in a few hours you’ll be good to go.
One of the more interesting possibilities mentioned by CTEK is the potential use of such systems in the context of emergency vehicle preparedness — allowing such vehicles to keep their electrical systems active, more or less, during all 24 hours of the day, and thereby reducing issues with startup.
Green Car Congress provides some background information:
WiTricity’s technology is based on sharply resonant strong coupling, and is able to transfer power efficiently even when the distances between the power source and capture device are several times the size of the devices themselves.
WiTricity’s technology is a non-radiative mode of energy transfer, relying instead on the magnetic near field. WiTricity proprietary source and device units are specially designed magnetic resonators that efficiently transfer power over large distances via the magnetic near-field. The magnetic field can wrap around a conductive obstacle between the power source and the capture device.
WiTricity’s CEO Alex Gruzen commented on the deal thusly: “CTEK is a world leader in designing charging systems for a wide range of applications, and has a number of technologies to complement WiTricity’s cutting edge wireless power transfer technology. In addition to its worldwide reach in consumer markets, CTEK is well positioned within Europe to work with WiTricity in providing a variety of customized battery charging solutions for industrial and transportation applications.”
While I can’t imagine that charging via electrical cables/cords will ever cease being the standard (I could be wrong), it does seem as though wireless charging is looking more and more likely to carve out a niche or two for itself. I’m curious to see what comes out of this.
Image Credit: WiTricity
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