Volt, Nissan Leaf to Offer Wireless Charging

Evatran, a maker of Plugless Power brand wireless car chargers, will begin offering the devices to buyers of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt in March of 2013. Between now and then, SPX Service Solutions, which supplies chargers for the Volt, will work with Evatran to offer consumers wireless, home-charging units for their Volt hybrid-electric cars.

You will learn the basics of wireless charging in the interesting video link below. Evatran staff prepared the brief clip to explain how the systems can be put into virtually any electric car, and are compatible with the standard J1772 adaptor.

The convenience factor is given the most attention in the film, and general questions are addressed. Wireless charging for electric and hybrid vehicles has not become commonplace for individual car owners yet, but the technology is seeing wide appeal in commercial and municipal fleets, where cost savings are larger because of the number of cars that are fitted with the devices. With minimal weight addition and ease of alignment, look for wireless charging units to start turning up as an option on more electric and hybrid cars.

Right now, the wireless units are about 90 percent efficient at transmitting electricity through the air and into the car’s battery, but the new devices for the Volt and Leaf will likely be even more effective at charging an EV or hybrid, according to Evatran’s CEO, Rebecca Hough. According to Hough, the unit is intended for perhaps 20 percent of hybrid and EV owners, who are searching for more convenience when it comes to daily charging of their automobiles.

For more about the Chevy Volt, see Chevrolet’s dedicated website for the car:
http://www.chevrolet.com/Volt

To learn more about the Nissan Leaf EV, see Nissan’s official corporate website, which features a special section for the Leaf:
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car