N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
#1
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N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
I think this is a great idea. When the price comes down, I can see this being much more convenient than having to plug your car into a wall each night. Much less wear and tear as well.
DailyTech - N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs; Google, Duke Energy Take Notice
DailyTech - N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs; Google, Duke Energy Take Notice
The $3,000 wireless EV charging pad is ready to be tested this spring
Electric vehicle (EV) charging may go wireless in the near future thanks to a North Carolina company, which has already grabbed the attention of big names like Google and Duke Energy.
Evatran, a clean technology subsidiary of MTC Transformers founded in 2009, has created a method of Plugless Power for EVs. Plugless Power is a charging system for electric vehicles that is based on inductive charging, and works by connecting the on-board EV battery charger inductively to the electrical power source without a physical connection.
To break it down a bit further, two halves of the electrical transformer are separated, where one is installed on the EV and the other is placed on the concrete of a parking lot, for example. When both halves are brought close together, electrical current from the station connected to the grid causes current to flow wirelessly into the EV adapter.
This is precisely what Evatran has accomplished. Its Plugless Power system works by placing an adapter on an EV and another in a charging pad mounted on the ground. When an EV parks over the charging pad, which is typically a 6-inch gap between the car and ground, Plugless Power works to wirelessly charge an owner's EV while at home or out in public.
"Fundamentally, what we're selling here is convenience," said Rebecca Hough, Evatran co-founder. "The cord gets really dirty. People run over the cord. And nobody wants to be using a cord in a rainstorm."
Evatran is already catching the attention of big companies and universities who are interested in testing Evatran's charging pad system this spring, such as Google, Duke Energy, Hertz Rent-A-Car and Clemson University. Sears has also signed up to be an authorized installer of the garage-based charging pads around the country.
As far as the outdoor version of the Evatran EV charging pad, Raleigh, North Carolina officials will be placing them in select locations for testing. The charging pads can be embedded in concrete or asphalt so that thieves cannot steal or vandalize the equipment.
An issue with Evatran's system is that it strictly works with the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf only. However, Evatran said it would be compatible with other EVs soon. Also, Evatran said its system would raise the cost of recharging from $1.35 (using a plug-in recharger) to $1.45 (using Plugless Power).
It seems Evatran has entered the EV scene with its product just in time. The U.S. Department of Energy announced just last week that it is offering $4 million for the development of wireless EV chargers. DOE is looking for as many as four projects for research and development, which could eventually be integrated into a production vehicle and tested. According to DOE, it hopes to have this technology on the road within this decade.
But it looks like Evatran is blazing ahead with its charging system, which is already ready for testing this spring. Evatran already has 180 online reservations for Plugless Power, where a unit costs about $3,000 without installation costs included. The company expects to sell 2,000 Evatran units this year.
Source: The Detroit News
Electric vehicle (EV) charging may go wireless in the near future thanks to a North Carolina company, which has already grabbed the attention of big names like Google and Duke Energy.
Evatran, a clean technology subsidiary of MTC Transformers founded in 2009, has created a method of Plugless Power for EVs. Plugless Power is a charging system for electric vehicles that is based on inductive charging, and works by connecting the on-board EV battery charger inductively to the electrical power source without a physical connection.
To break it down a bit further, two halves of the electrical transformer are separated, where one is installed on the EV and the other is placed on the concrete of a parking lot, for example. When both halves are brought close together, electrical current from the station connected to the grid causes current to flow wirelessly into the EV adapter.
This is precisely what Evatran has accomplished. Its Plugless Power system works by placing an adapter on an EV and another in a charging pad mounted on the ground. When an EV parks over the charging pad, which is typically a 6-inch gap between the car and ground, Plugless Power works to wirelessly charge an owner's EV while at home or out in public.
"Fundamentally, what we're selling here is convenience," said Rebecca Hough, Evatran co-founder. "The cord gets really dirty. People run over the cord. And nobody wants to be using a cord in a rainstorm."
Evatran is already catching the attention of big companies and universities who are interested in testing Evatran's charging pad system this spring, such as Google, Duke Energy, Hertz Rent-A-Car and Clemson University. Sears has also signed up to be an authorized installer of the garage-based charging pads around the country.
As far as the outdoor version of the Evatran EV charging pad, Raleigh, North Carolina officials will be placing them in select locations for testing. The charging pads can be embedded in concrete or asphalt so that thieves cannot steal or vandalize the equipment.
An issue with Evatran's system is that it strictly works with the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf only. However, Evatran said it would be compatible with other EVs soon. Also, Evatran said its system would raise the cost of recharging from $1.35 (using a plug-in recharger) to $1.45 (using Plugless Power).
It seems Evatran has entered the EV scene with its product just in time. The U.S. Department of Energy announced just last week that it is offering $4 million for the development of wireless EV chargers. DOE is looking for as many as four projects for research and development, which could eventually be integrated into a production vehicle and tested. According to DOE, it hopes to have this technology on the road within this decade.
But it looks like Evatran is blazing ahead with its charging system, which is already ready for testing this spring. Evatran already has 180 online reservations for Plugless Power, where a unit costs about $3,000 without installation costs included. The company expects to sell 2,000 Evatran units this year.
Source: The Detroit News
#2
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
93% power transfer efficiency is better than I would've expected. I can't see paying that much to put one in a house garage or driveway, but I can see it helping with public charging quite a bit. It'd be great at rest areas; you can swipe your card and let it charge while you eat. Having them scattered around town would reduce range anxiety for all-electric car drivers. Can they make a realllly long one that runs down the middle of a highway lane? ;-)
#4
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Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
93% power transfer efficiency is better than I would've expected. I can't see paying that much to put one in a house garage or driveway, but I can see it helping with public charging quite a bit. It'd be great at rest areas; you can swipe your card and let it charge while you eat. Having them scattered around town would reduce range anxiety for all-electric car drivers. Can they make a realllly long one that runs down the middle of a highway lane? ;-)
Why is that a health threat? It's not like it is sitting there emitting powerful microwaves or something.
#6
#7
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
Just like everything new in technology, it will be limited and expensive at first. I bet in a few years, if these catch on, they will be much more affordable and commonplace.
Why is that a health threat? It's not like it is sitting there emitting powerful microwaves or something.
Why is that a health threat? It's not like it is sitting there emitting powerful microwaves or something.
#8
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Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
My bad. I thought you pointing out that there were obvious health problems.
#9
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
Well wireless phone chargers are already on the market but with the low amperage I kinda figured they were safe. But with this device I was curious.
#10
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
Infiniti is coming out with an all-electric car that uses wireless charging. Go to infinitiusa.com and check out the LE Concept.
Having said that, don't let your cat nap over the charging system.
Having said that, don't let your cat nap over the charging system.
#11
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
I think this is a great step. Effective range has long been a challenge for EV's. Imagine if there was a charging hump in selected parking spaces, garages nd venues throughout a city. Tie your debit card directly to the Mac address of a wireless card in your car intended to securely authenticate you, and just charge up whenever you like.
I know most of us love the internal combustion engine, but this is a really good thing in terms of taking power and income away from groups who would like to harm us.
I know most of us love the internal combustion engine, but this is a really good thing in terms of taking power and income away from groups who would like to harm us.
#12
#13
Re: N.C. Company Creates Plugless Charging System for EVs
Actually it would be enough to make me nervous until proven not to be. I feel the same with electric vehicles with substantial batteries.
In my mind I think about the cancer that is reported where schools and homes are under power lines and scale that down. You mentioned Cell phone wireless chargers being ok. I think there is still some back and forth on whether holding the actual phone to your ear can cause cancer and various sources have suggested using a blue tooth to reduce risk.
So if prolonged exposure to overhead power lines supposidly cause cancer, what about a scaled down power source that youre sitting on to and from work for years on end? Although large battery sources do seem to have been used historically in trains and large off road dump trucks.
It took a while to find out the effects of smoking. Every generation loves to think "In this day and age we would know" however like I said in this day and age people still do not agree if Cell phones cause cancer.
Now I dont know if this will or will not cause cancer or health issues, but personally I feel it may very well be too early to tell like many other things in the past.
In my mind I think about the cancer that is reported where schools and homes are under power lines and scale that down. You mentioned Cell phone wireless chargers being ok. I think there is still some back and forth on whether holding the actual phone to your ear can cause cancer and various sources have suggested using a blue tooth to reduce risk.
So if prolonged exposure to overhead power lines supposidly cause cancer, what about a scaled down power source that youre sitting on to and from work for years on end? Although large battery sources do seem to have been used historically in trains and large off road dump trucks.
It took a while to find out the effects of smoking. Every generation loves to think "In this day and age we would know" however like I said in this day and age people still do not agree if Cell phones cause cancer.
Now I dont know if this will or will not cause cancer or health issues, but personally I feel it may very well be too early to tell like many other things in the past.
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