BMW i launches yet another world first in the form of a factory-fitted, fully integrated inductive charging facility for the high-voltage battery in a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
BMW Wireless Charging enables electric energy from the mains supply to be transmitted to a vehicle’s high-voltage battery without any cables – when the vehicle is positioned over a base pad. This can be installed in the garage, for example, and the charging process started as soon as the vehicle has been parked in position (without any further input from the driver). The launch of this technology sees the BMW Group move another step closer to an infrastructure that will make charging the battery of an electrified vehicle even simpler than refuelling a car with a conventional engine.
The system has a charging power of 3.2 kW, enabling the high-voltage batteries on board the BMW 530e iPerformance to be fully charged in around three-and-a-half hours with an efficiency rate of around 85 percent.
BMW Wireless Charging employs the same inductive charging technology already widely used for supplying power to devices such as mobile phones and electric toothbrushes to now also recharge the high-voltage batteries in electrified vehicles. The principal benefit here is the unrivaled ease of use, as drivers no longer need to hook up their plug-in hybrid car using a cable in order to replenish its energy reserves.
The GroundPad can also be installed outdoors, where it may be used regardless of the weather conditions. All components that conduct electricity are protected from rain and snow, and driving over the GroundPad will not damage it in any way. During charging, ambient electromagnetic radiation is limited to the vehicle undercarriage. The GroundPad is permanently monitored and will be switched off if any foreign matters are detected. The BMW Group also offers an installation service for BMW Wireless Charging, on request.
The launch of BMW Wireless Charging is further proof of the BMW Group’s ongoing commitment to creating a user-friendly and practical charging infrastructure. Back in 2015, the company was presented with the Momentum for Change Award from the United Nations in recognition of its achievements.