WiTricity acquisition expands EV wireless charging

Electric vehicle wireless battery charging systems maker WiTricity in the US has acquired similar technology from San Diego-based Qualcomm.

WiTricity, a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, makes a pad system which produces a magnetic field to charge an EV parked over it, without the need to plug in.

The company says the Qualcomm acquisition will bring to more than 1500 the number of patents and patent applications related to wireless charging that WiTricity will own or control.

This acquisition will streamline technology development that enables automakers to deliver an EV charging experience that is seamless and efficient. By simply parking over wireless charging ground pads located at home, in garages, and public parking spots, EV drivers will be able to recharge hands-free, without the need for any bulky cables, virtually eliminating the need to ever plug in, WiTricity says. Additionally, electrified autonomous vehicle (AV) fleets will require wireless charging since there will be no human drivers present to plug in.

“WiTricity’s wireless charging technology is key to the future of mobility which is clearly electric, and increasingly shared and autonomous,” chief executive officer Alex Gruzen says. “EV drivers and fleets demand a simple, effortless charging experience. Bringing the Qualcomm Halo technology into the WiTricity portfolio will simplify global interoperability and significantly accelerate commercialisation.”

Qualcomm Incorporated and WiTricity have been working collaboratively with global standards organisations which leverage reference designs from each company. This acquisition will simplify ratification of the standard and help ensure interoperability across automakers, WiTricity says. EV drivers will be able to use any standards-compatible pad to charge their vehicles.

The company has signed several new licensing deals, including Mahle in Germany and Anjie Wireless in China.

Recently, Honda and WiTricity demonstrated their wireless vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging model at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, leveraging WiTricity’s Drive 11 wireless charging system.

The world’s first vehicle that is factory equipped with wireless charging, the BMW 530e iPerformance sedan, was introduced in 2018.

Qualcomm Incorporated will become a minority WiTricity shareholder.