Could wireless charging tech one day come to your electric car? Well, it’s a long way off, but it’s very possible. Here’s what you need to know.
You may be familiar with the concept of wireless charging for your phone — but what if you could wirelessly charge your electric car? Well, it seems like that concept may not be all that far-fetched. In fact, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen announced in a video with Jay Leno about the Cybertruck that Tesla is working on an inductive charger for the home.
Now, of course, this is Tesla we’re talking about. The company noting that it’s “working” on something like this could mean that it’s coming out this year, coming out in 10 years, or really, coming out never.
But regardless of whether Tesla builds the first wireless chargers for cars or not, the concept could eventually be coming to the mainstream.How does induction car charging work?
Charging a car through inductive charging works pretty much the same as wirelessly charging a phone.
Wireless charging in general uses electromagnetic induction to transmit electrical current. Basically, there’s a transmitter (a charging pad) with a magnetic coil, and a receiver (in this case, built into the bottom of your car), with another magnetic coil. When the two align, electric current is transmitted to the receiver, and charging begins.
