Charging getting easier than refuelling

More details have been released around BMW I’s factory-fitted, fully integrated inductive charging facility for the high-voltage battery in its plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The wireless charging option using an inductive GroundPad was shown at the Auto China 2018 show in Beijing, April 25-May 4.

The vehicle is positioned over the base pad, which can be installed in a garage, and charges the battery through a similar pad (CarPad) fitted underneath the car.

Production starts in July.

The BMW wireless charging option can be ordered now as a leasing-option for the BMW 530e iPerformance.

The product offer starts with Germany, followed by the United Kingdom, the US, Japan and China.

Wireless charging enables electric energy from the mains supply to be transmitted to a vehicle’s high-voltage battery without any cables.

The process starts as soon as the vehicle has been parked in position, without any further driver input.

The contactless transfer of energy is over a distance of about eight centimetres with the GroundPad generating a magnetic field, the electric current induced in the CarPad which then charges the battery.

BMW Group says it’s a step closer to an infrastructure that will make charging an electrified vehicle’s battery even simpler than refueling a car with a conventional engine.

The system has a charging power of 3.2kW, enabling the high-voltage batteries on board the BMW 530e iPerformance to be fully charged in around three-and-a-half hours.

It has an efficiency rate of about 85%.

The technology is already widely used for supplying power to devices such as mobile phones and electric toothbrushes.

It means drivers no longer need to hook up their plug-in hybrid car using a cable.

A start-stop button begins the charging process and the system automatically switches off once the battery is fully charged.

A wi-fi communication between the charging station and the vehicle is being established to allow the driver to easily get into the correct charging position.

An overhead view of the car and its surroundings appears in the control display with coloured lines that help guide the driver while parking. A graphic icon shows when the correct parking position for inductive charging has been reached. This can deviate from the optimum position by up to seven centimetres longitudinally and up to 14 centimetres laterally.

The GroundPad can also be installed outdoors.

All components that conduct electricity are protected from rain and snow, and driving over the pad doesn’t damage it.

The GroundPad is permanently monitored and will be switched off if any foreign matter is detected.

The BMW Group also offers a wireless charging installation service on request.

As one of the co-founders of the Ionity joint venture, the BMW Group is teaming up with other carmakers to set up a Europe-wide fast-charging network with up to 350kW charging power that should have around 400 stations by 2020. In addition, the ChargeNow service, originally launched by BMW I, now offers access to more than 130,000 aggregated charging points in 32 countries – the largest global network of its kind.