PURE CHARGING PLEASURE

BMW’s i-division has launched the first-ever factory-fitted, fully integrated inductive charging facility for its plugin hybrid vehicles that, on paper, make charging even easier than refuelling. This ingenious device enables electric energy from the main electricity supply to be transmitted to the vehicle’s battery pack without any cables. The BMW Wireless Charging consists of an Inductive Charging Station (GroundPad), which can be installed either in a garage or outdoors, while a secondary vehicle component (CarPad) is fixed to the underside of the vehicle. The contactless transfer of energy between the GroundPad and CarPad is conducted over a distance of around eight centimetres. The system has a charging power of 3.2 kW, enabling the car’s battery pack to be fully charged in about three-and-a-half hours.

The principal benefit is the unrivalled ease of use, as drivers no longer need to hook up their plug-in hybrid car using a cable. Instead, as soon as the vehicle has been parked in the correct position above the charging pad, the process is initiated by a simple push of the stop/ start button. Once the battery is fully charged, the system switches off automatically. With production set to start in

July, BMW is leading the way in the development of inductive charging technology that greatly enhances the ease of use and everyday practicality of electric vehicles.