BMW is preparing a new charging system for its plug-in cars that will work by induction, so the cables will go down in history.
BMW’s eco-friendly car division launches an inductive charging system for its hybrid plug-in cars, which is a novelty. BMW says production will start in June and will be available now for the 530e iPerformance. This technology will be available in Germany, although it will later be extended to other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or China.
The wireless charging system will work through an inductive load using electromagnetic fields. A base will be placed in the parking space that will be connected to a power source. When the vehicle is parked on said base, the inductive load will begin to charge the car without using any cable, so you will surely not go with the charging cable attached.
To load the car it will be enough to park it on the load base
BMW will need two devices for induction charging
This charging mode will be offered as an option on all plug-in models of the German brand, starting with the BMW 530e Series. The installation of the “GroundPad” (load base), should be done in the place where the car is parked the most time (we hope it is not at your job). The main advantage is that it does not have to be in a covered car park, since BMW claims that the GroundPad resists temporary inclemencies and works in most weather conditions.
As for the device that carries the vehicle itself, it is a CarPad that is fixed to the underside of the car and that works as a receiver for the inductive load. The connection between the charging transmitter system and the receiver can work up to 8 cm away and is done through a WI-FI network created by GrounPad itself. BMW claims that the system has a load power of 3.2 kW, so in 3 and a half hours the car will be charged up to 85%.
The driver will have a guided parking system with a 360 degree camera in which some colored lines will indicate the ideal position for the car to be optimally charged. The system allows a deviation of up to 7 cm longitudinally and up to 14 cm laterally.
Safety is guaranteed at all times, since the car will mount a device through which all the radiation of the system will not leave the CarPad, so that neither the driver nor the passengers will feel any sensation. The charging system will also mount sensors that will turn off the system in case of detecting any foreign material on the ground platform.
Alvaro Avilés de Rus, for Autocasión