Wireless EV Charging Update: Siemens & MAHLE Team Up
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Wireless EV charging has been a fun topic for as long as I’ve been writing about electric cars (more than a decade). Yet, it’s not exactly common (it’s almost unheard of) to find one in an EV owner’s garage. Companies aren’t giving up yet, and that includes Siemens and MAHLE, which have just teamed up to work on EV wireless charging together.
“The two companies intend to work together to close gaps in the standardization of inductive charging systems,” they write. That means working together on continued technological innovation, and it also means collaborating on interoperability tests.
The market is basically nonexistent right now, but the potential is enormous. With inductive charging of electric vehicles, owners no longer need to plug in or unplug. “Wireless charging of electric vehicles is emerging as a major market for the future. In addition to making life considerably easier for drivers, who no longer have to fiddle with cables and connectors, it is a crucial requirement for the autonomous mobility of tomorrow. The transfer efficiency of wireless, inductive charging is comparable to plug-in systems,” says Stefan Perras, Head of Pre-development and Innovation for Charging Infrastructure at Siemens AG.
Of course, it still has to be cost-competitive enough to entice buyers into buying an inductive wireless charging device instead of a normal wall charger. Naturally, Siemens knows a thing or two about this, as it has sold home wall chargers for years. It also produces DC fast charging hardware, and for electrical systems much more broadly.
“Siemens’ core expertise in smart buildings and smart grids makes us uniquely positioned to meet our customers’ needs with comprehensive solutions and to help them design, install and manage sustainable charging solutions for a better future,” Perras added.
“We are very pleased to have found a strong partner in Siemens in order to make major advances in inductive charging. The combined experience of both companies will give us a clear competitive advantage,” said Harald Straky, Vice President for Global Development in Mechatronics and Electronics at MAHLE.
Featured image: Setup for wireless charging of electric vehicles. Image courtesy of Siemens.
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