Chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) have one drawback where they are not easy to use by the disabled and the elderly. In addition, there is the issue of the cable not being long enough to charge some EVs. The solution to this issue is to create a wireless EV charger. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has successfully developed the most powerful wireless charger with an output of up to 270 KW.
In tests carried out in the laboratory, this wireless charging system successfully charged a Porsche Taycan. Through the fast charging system, the battery can be charged up to 50% in 10 minutes. According to ORNL, this high power level is achieved with an energy transfer efficiency of up to 95%.
Another advantage of the system developed by ORNL is that the charging pad under the EV is small in size. The car also does not need to be placed directly on the charging pad. The battery can still be charged though as long as the charging pad on the car is within 12 cm of the charging transmitter on the floor surface.
With this wireless charging system, it not only solves the issue of accessibility for the elderly and disabled but also solves the issue of vehicle charger cables that are often victims of theft. This high-power wireless charger is still in the testing stage and is not yet ready to be commercially marketed.