The German automaker BMW recently announced it has made a wireless charging pad for electric vehicles. This technology is available for mobile devices, but it was never created for vehicles. BMW becomes the first automaker to introduce wireless car charging leaving behind Mercedes-Benz as they are working to introduce a similar charging system for its S-Class vehicles.
BMW will start generating wireless charging systems from next month but customers from select countries like the United States of America, China, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom can pre-order. The first BMW vehicle featuring this technology is the 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid. BMW surely will introduce more compatible models soon.
The wireless charging technology is very simple; it is placed on the ground like a floor mat while being connected to a socket via a chord. The waterproof pad charges the car using magnetic technology, better known as induction charging. This wireless charging pad for electric vehicles is powerful enough to charge the 530e completely in just 3.5 hours. This eliminates the need to plug in the charging port for battery charging.
The 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance retains a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 mated to a single electric motor. The power goes to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The combined power output stands at 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque which enables the car to reach 62 mph in 6.2 seconds.