Audi working on wireless charging for all its plug-in vehicles

[txlibdem]

Audi working on wireless charging with WiTricity technology
By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed
Posted Feb 29th 2012 7:52PM

...the inductive charging system could one day be standard on "plug-in" Audi vehicles and would include technology from the Boston-area-based WiTricity Corporation. Officially called "Audi wireless charging" (no points for creativity, there), electricity is sent from a coil in the concrete to one in the car thanks to an alternating magnetic field that is only activated by the vehicle driving into position. Thus, Audi says, "there is no risk to human beings or animals." Project leader Dr. Björn Elias said in a statement that there is a lot of potential for this technology:

Imagine you drive to work in your Audi e-tron, and on the way home you stop off at the store. Wherever you park the car, its battery will be recharged – perhaps even at traffic signals. These short recharging cycles are ideal for the battery: the smaller the difference between the values before and after recharging, the longer the battery's potential operating life.

A very cool idea, but also one that's far away. Nonetheless, other automakers – like Mitsibishi, Daimler and Nissan – are also working on contact-free ways to fill up your car's battery pack. This is why the deputy director at the power electronics and electrical power systems research center at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory said last May that wireless charging will one day be the standard way we juice up our cars.

http://green.autoblog.com/2012/02/29/audi-working-on-wireless-charging-with-witricity-technology/

Wireless charging for plug-in vehicles? Sign me up!

[mopinko]

1. interesting but who pays for that?

sounds like a massive project for both public and private entities.
maybe audi will shell out for it.

[txlibdem]

6. Funny how you forgot to ask who pays to keep the oil lanes open

... the cost of which is estimated in excess of $50 Billion a year.

Who pays to give away our natural resources to the most profitable companies in the history of the world -- yet we still give them $72 Billion each year in subsidies.

You ask some really good questions. Who pays for that?

[phantom power]

2. I have questions

I don't see any technology barriers to doing this. However, who would be paying for this electricity being used to energize audis in store parking lots? The stores? If its at traffic stops, who pays for that electricity? The public?

[bananas]

4. The car will communicate with the charger

and do wireless financial transaction.
The car owner will pay for it.
His bank account will be charged at the same time his battery is charged.

[txlibdem]

7. Thank you for the excellent explanation

Just like toll roads if you have a toll tag on your windshield.

[phantom power]

9. talk about ubiquitous networking

[bananas]

3. Japan has been planning this for several years. nt

[Demeter]

5. Hope they have the safety issues worked out, first

[txlibdem]

8. C'mon. It's Audi we're talking about

If they pull this off then all other electric vehicles will follow suit and charge wirelessly as well.

[Nihil]

10. Yep, the biggest problem with an Audi ...

... can usually be found in the driver's seat ...

[caraher]

11. Cords have safety issues too

I'd imagine this may be safer, though even with an idiot-proof system one must always bear in mind the unexpected genius of idiots...