Ford's wireless charging patent application would allow EVs to grab a charge on the go

[lightbright]

The conversation around EVs and their impact on our lives is evolving as the vehicles change and grow with new features and tech. Range anxiety was a significant concern early on, but that has given way to fears about charging times and availability as more EVs offer impressive range estimates. While many automakers have looked to Tesla for access to a more reliable, widespread charging network, almost all of them have continued development of their own solutions. Ford, the first to join Tesla’s Supercharger network, is no exception, and Green Car Reports found a patent for an interesting wireless EV charging system it filed back in 2022 that has recently come to light.

Ford’s “Roadway Charging Coil Alignment and Monitoring” patent relates to inductive charging for EVs. Unlike most systems we’ve seen to date, Ford’s patent is for a system that can charge moving vehicles, which uses charging coils embedded in a road’s surface.

Like fiddling with your wireless smartphone charger to find the right spot, the driver would need to align the vehicle’s batteries with the charging components underneath. To solve for that, Ford’s patent suggests ground penetrating radar and a series of sensors that could help everything line up.

Ford isn’t the first company to explore wireless charging. Genesis has already announced its intentions to develop a wireless solution, and its popular GV60 EV was shown with prototype charging gear. Others have claimed to have tested the technology, and a few years ago, an Israeli company tested commercial trucks on a wireless charging road.

Some, including major automakers, believe that dynamic wireless charging could lead to smaller batteries that require fewer raw materials. In the meantime, entities from all corners of business and government are working to develop new charging solutions and push for more charging locations, as the proliferation of EVs has so far outpaced the infrastructure to support them.

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[Soul On Ice]

 

[Mrfreddygoodbud]

sounds like they really getting ready for these, "smart" cities!!

 

[CoTtOnMoUf]

This has been in the works for a few years. Once in full motion, it will change the game for EV charging.

 

[Bounty Killah]

To be frank, this is far from a new concept. This has been around since the 1800's. The problems associated with inductive charging are being solved, slowly. However, one problem from the early systems is that the towers would explode.

Do a search on the name Tesla and inductive charging.

(Addendum: Nikola Tesla built the first system to transfer electricity over the air in 1893, using principles of induction discovered by Michael Faraday in the early 1800s.)(Here's my search term from google "who was Tesla in regard to inductive charging")

Peace

 

[alexw]

They better do something because that piece about the man who drove across country in his electric truck and he and his family were basically stranded is not a good look. I would never buy a electric truck after reading that shit.

 

[RoadRage]

70's toys did it already.

 

[RoadRage]

But seriously they already have something like this already. But the key will be building complying infrastructure to accommodate the power grid that can support this type of electric demand.

 

[Coldchi]

China will steal the idea and sell it off as their own.

 

[Bounty Killah]

70's toys did it already.

This is NOT inductive charging, man. Those cars have commutator brushes.

 

[Mixd]