Plugless Power is now offering wireless charging stations for Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt electric vehicles, and that comes with 6 months of free electricity to charge them.
The price is $3,500 to $4,000 for all of the necessary equipment.
Wireless charging stations offer primarily the convenience of not having to lift a finger to charge your vehicle by plugging in, since it charges automatically when you park it in the garage. However, there is an important pragmatic benefit that stems from this convenience:
People often forget to charge their battery-powered devices, so the batteries die when in public, just because of forgetfulness.
Since vehicles are parked in people’s garages (if they have any) every day, by using wireless charging, they automatically get charged every day.
Another benefit of wireless charging is that it can be set up to charge specifically during off-peak hours, when electricity prices are lowest, so you don’t have to remember to plug in your vehicle at specific off-peak times.
The Main Drawback of Wireless Charging
The initial cost of the charger is the biggest drawback of wireless chargers. If you can remember to plug your vehicle in overnight and that isn’t difficult for you, then don’t bother to buy a wireless charger. Wireless chargers are very expensive and unnecessary products. If you find that you can’t remember to plug it in daily, then you should consider a wireless charger.
Efficiency
Additionally, the efficiency of wireless chargers is not quite as high as the 85% that typical wired chargers achieve, but it is close. The small efficiency boost of wired chargers can surely add up over time, though, and save you a bit if money.
Source: Autoblog Green
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