Toyota has become the latest big name car manufacturer to announce it is looking into wireless charging for electric cars after entering into a technology collaboration with WiTricity Corporation
However, just what is wireless charging for electric cars all about, and do we really need it?
How does it work?
In most cases, powering an electric car occurs through conductive charging in which there is direct wired contact between the battery and the charger. It is achieved by connecting the car into a power source with plug-in wires.
By contrast, inductive charging uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. Typically there will be an induction coil that creates the field from within the charging station and a second coil in the portable device (in this case, the vehicle itself) which converts it back into electrical current to charge the battery. Some early designs have seen electricity transmitted from the grid to the battery at an efficiency rate of more than 90 per cent.
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