To reduce the concerns of buyers regarding an EV and to get rid of cords, wireless charging mats are being developed exclusively for electric vehicles. According to the sources, the charging mats are specially designed to sit on the floor, which is then connected into a power source. The coils placed beneath the car provide wireless engagement of the charger to charge the battery while the vehicle is parked. When the mats are plugged in the car is free of any leads.

“The feedback we see from initial Volt and Leaf buyers is that, ‘Gee, these cords get really dirty; gee, these cords get all tangled; what a pain in the neck.’ A wireless charger truly gives you total freedom,” says Phil Gott t — IHS Automotive powertrain research analyst. Basically, there is a hesitation for buyers towards electric vehicles even if they are aware about the positive side of those cars. To alleviate such consumer hesitation, automakers like Tesla have been focusing on a plug-in “supercharger” that can re-charge one of its cars in less than an hour. Other companies like Nissan, Audi, Toyota, and Mitsubishi are also keen to develop wireless chargers.

Besides, GM has already spent $5 million into a private firm called ‘Powermat technology’ to develop charging mats for them and the company says it’s only using to charge smartphones and other devices wirelessly from within the car. According to the Randy Summer — the director of hybrid electric vehicle business and technology development at Delphi Automotive, the charge mat arrangement being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), could transmit 3kW of power swiftly to see a battery recharged in about four hours. However, automakers are eagerly waiting for the charging mats to come. They expect the technology to be ready for sale around 2015.

via Caradvice