SEOUL: Genesis has become the latest carmaker after Volvo to begin trials with wireless charging for electric cars, raising hopes that EV batteries will eventually become far simpler for drivers to refill.
The South Korean maker has set up 23 charging stations throughout South Korea. In order to charge, a car needs to line up exactly with an inductive charging pad using the onboard parking camera and lines on the infotainment screen.
Electric cars are not suitable for wireless charging as standard so Genesis has modified all the test vehicles, including a mixture of its GV60 and GV70 models.
The company said it hoped the trial will demonstrate how wireless, conductive charging can offer benefits to drivers who would rather not use a cable.
Once correctly located, the car starts charging automatically. The juice flows within seconds and there is no need for a jumble of cables and connectors. Payment is by contactless credit card.
The wireless chargers in Korea each deliver power at up to 11 kW which will not refill batteries particularly quickly. They are more powerful than many home chargers, which often run at only 7 kW, but will likely still take several hours to recharge.
Inductive charging has been used for buses in Europe, notably as part of the Primove system marketed by Bombardier.
Plans to use single-deckers on a route in the German capital Berlin were dropped several years ago after an extensive trial following technical problems.
These included fallen leaves and debris on the induction plates, which rendered the buses inefficient. The system has since been removed.
Volvo Cars is already testing a new wireless charging technology in a live city environment in Sweden together with selected partners.
Over a three-year period, a small fleet of fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge cars are being used as taxis by Cabonline, the largest taxi operator in the Nordic region. They are charged wirelessly at stations in Gothenburg, Sweden.
