Gerry Palmers Auto 08.16.2022 05:Aug AM EDT

German Firms Plan Technology, Infrastructure to Provide Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles

Wireless charging has become so commonplace for most of our gadgets nowadays, why not for electric vehicles as well?

Two German companies - Siemens, a multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturer in Europe, and MAHLE, an automotive parts manufacturer, are partnering to develop infrastructure and automotive engineering that will provide wireless charging to electric vehicles.

Siemens and MAHLE have announced that they have signed a letter of intent to team up in the field of inductive charging of electric vehicles.

Siemens. MAHLE to Work on Charging Interoperability

These companies are also set to strategize on extensive interoperability and cross-testing between the charging equipment on the EV (secondary coil) and the charging infrastructure (primary coil). This will lead to technical enhancements and validation of inductive charging systems for EVs and guarantee interoperability. Some of the tests will be done in line with publicly funded projects.

The aim of these tests and infrastructure building is to fill in gaps to reach full interoperability between vehicles and the charging infrastructure.

EV Wireless Charging Seen As A Major Market in the Future

Wireless charging of electric vehicles is seen as an emerging major market for the future, Siemens AG head of Pre-development and Innovation for Charging Infrastructure Stefan Perras. This, he said, not only makes life considerably easier for drivers, since they need fiddle with cables and connectors, but this is also "a crucial requirement for the autonomous mobility of tomorrow." In the end, the transfer efficiency of wireless, inductive charging would be comparable to plug-in systems," he further said.

MAHLE aims to contribute its years of experience and expertise as an automotive supplier and Siemens its expertise in the area of charging infrastructure.

MAHLE has amped up development efforts in wireless charging in recent years. Among them are two projects backed by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)-a project with aims to develop a cross-automaker inductive charging system for vehicles. It is also involved in a project that seeks a standardized measurement method to achieve electromagnetic compatibility of inductive systems.

As provider for the eMobility charging infrastructure, Siemens eMobility offers a complete range of state-of-the-art AC and DC charging hardware, software, and services - from residential, commercial and depot applications.

Siemens' main expertise in smart buildings and smart grids allows the company to offer customers' needs with comprehensive customer solutions while helping design, install and manage sustainable charging solutions, Perras added.

The partnership is set to change the current landscape and future of electric vehicles.

This wireless charging approach for EVs allows the vehicles to charge by simply parking over a ground pad, or near a wireless charging post. Energy is provided from a magnetic resonance system beneath the pad or behind the post; a vehicle parks over or in front of the spot and takes in the energy via an embedded receiver. The technology holds a particular attraction for fleet utility vehicles, such as taxis, that should minimize time spent in charging the vehicle and thus optimizing uptime.