Wireless charging for your iPhone? Sorry, Apple \u2014 that’s kind of old hat.<\/b>
\nWireless charging for your iPhone? Sorry, Apple \u2014 that’s kind of old hat.
In a new blog post, BMW just reminded us beyond all doubt that we’re living in the future by announcing a gigantic wireless charging pad for its electric cars. If you\u2019ve got a BMW to go along with it, you can pick it up sometime in 2018.
Specifically, you\u2019ll need to have a BMW 530e iPerformance as it\u2019s the only car that\u2019ll support it at first. After that, BMW will extend support for other iPerformance models that support the optional wireless charging kit, such as the 330e, the 740e, and the X5. The 530e is remarkable, though, for having the technology already built in and ready to go.
Oh, and there\u2019s another catch. As The Verge reports, it won\u2019t be available in the US and Canada at first, but you might be okay if you’re in „other countries.“
This is a cool idea, but it\u2019s not without a few hiccups. The convenience factor looks like it\u2019s a little outweighed by the need to watch guides on the iDrive video screen while driving over the plate in order to achieve the best alignment for the maximum charge.
In other words, don\u2019t toss out the cash for the pad thinking you can just casually drive your car into your garage as you can with a regular gas-powered vehicle (or even with a cable-charged electric one).
Get everything lined up properly, though, and you can get it a full charge in 3.5 hours. That\u2019s about how long it already takes the 530e with a charging cable, so not bad, all in all.<\/p>\n

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