Plug-free EV Chargers on the Way. But Will Consumers Want Them?

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Forget to plug in your EV last night? Virginia-based Evatran is betting it has the solution with its plug-free proximity chargers. The company announced at the Plug In conference in San Jose this week that it plans to begin selling its plug-free charging systems, called Plugless Powerâ„¢, in December. System components include a charging tower that plugs into a wall socket, a small adapter attached to the car chassis and a flat charging pad on the ground beneath the car. When the adapter and charging pad are properly aligned, electricity flows from the pad to the adapter in what the company calls "inductive power transfer" like that used in electrical transformers. But about 10% of the power is lost during charging, which Evatran says is the equivalent of about $5 for every 1,000 miles driven. Some professionals in the field are wondering aloud if some consumers might steer clear of the plugless chargers for that reason. "We're trying to be more energy-efficient, but this is going in the wrong direction for our convenience. The future will show whether convenience is enough of a market driver to make up for inefficiency," Pacific Northwest National Laboratory senior research scientist Michael Kintner-Meyer told MIT's Technology Review. Another company, WiTricity, is developing a charging system that officials say is more efficient. WiTricity doesn't intend to sell its charger to consumers, but is negotiating with car makers to install its chargers on the EVs they sell. Evatran's chargers will set you back $3,245. The December sales date is intended to mesh with the rollout of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf EVs.

 

Quick Take: This may or may not sound like R&D on the fly, but with the first EVs coming within a couple of months, the charging infrastructure market is heating up to a rolling boil.

 

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