INDUCTIVE CHARGING
“The best way to eliminate anxiety about
charging is to make sure that drivers
start every day with a full battery”
Alex Gruzen, CEO, WiTricity
Part of the problem is that there are too
many systems being developed by too many
companies, but Alex Gruzen at WiTricity found
a savvy way to solve the standardization issue.
Earlier this year, his company acquired
Qualcomm Halo, sponsors of the Formula E
motor racing series and key competitors
to WiTrcitiy, which he says was a strategic
means of reducing at least one more version
of the technology.
“The acquisition simplifi es global
interoperability of wireless EV charging
60 // July 2019 // www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com
technology,” says Gruzen, who
is of the belief that the Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
will publish the fi rst wireless
charging standards next year.
“SAE J2954 will be the fi rst
worldwide specifi cation for
wireless power transfer for EVs
of up to 11kW power levels,”
Gruzen explains.
Once they have the standard,
he says the next hurdle will be
getting the price down.
“One of the biggest challenges to wireless
charging is cost reduction to meet OEM
requirements. Our goal is to get wireless
charging capabilities integrated into EVs of all
kinds, whether luxury vehicles or more
mainstream, aff ordable brands,” he says.
However, others are not too sure this is the
right approach. “Cars have diff erent battery
capacities, diff erent engine power, tinted glass
– these are all sorts of added features and
options, and I think wireless charging ability
will be one of those at fi rst,” says Partovi.
However it happens, developers of the
technology all agree that widescale wireless
charging will help increase adoption of EVs.
“Today’s electric vehicle buyers are still early
adopters. They have been very motivated,
largely for environmental reasons, but we’re
still at single-digit penetration in the market,”
says Alex Gruzen.
“It’s important for our environment that EVs
appeal to a broad cross-section of customers
and there are currently barriers to doing so.
“The best way to eliminate anxiety about
charging is to make sure that drivers start
every day with a full battery.”
“With wireless charging, you just park your
car, and it just starts charging. You don’t have
to think about it. And that makes for a
fantastic customer experience” says Gruzen.
“We are now moving into autonomous
vehicles,” Partovi concludes by looking at
future use cases. “So if cars are driving
themselves, why would they need a person
to plug them in?”
6
5
5. An illustration of
WiTricity’s inductive
charging system
6. Certain bus routes
around the world are
already piloting wireless
charging at bus stops
/www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com