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Daimler, BMW partnering up on wireless charging

Tue, Jul 15 2014 Plug-in vehicle advocates can get all warm and fuzzy about two Germany heavyweight automakers getting together for the sake of wireless charging. That's because Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and BMW will work together to speed up development of a wireless charging system. While not a ton of details were divulged, we can still rejoice.

Daimler says the system will consist of an on-board coil and another coil that can be placed within the garage floor or someplace similarly stationary. The system will charge at 3.6 kilowatts and with 90 percent efficiency. No details were released about the system's price or when it would be available, but Daimler shouldn't wait too long, since other OEMs are already talking about their own wireless charging systems.

Daimler obviously has some skin in the game here, since Mercedes-Benz will start sales of its S500 plug-in hybrid in September. That model, which was first shown off last August at the Frankfurt Auto Show, can go as far as 20 miles on electric power alone and will get fuel economy of about 84 miles per gallon equivalent. And it's easy to imagine an i3 or i8 driver getting a kick out of never needing to touch a cord.

This spring, reports sprung up that fellow German automaker Volkswagen was preparing a wireless charging option for its electric vehicles as soon as 2017. You can check out Daimler's press release below.
Wireless charging of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles: PLUG IN HYBRID - unplugged

One of the next steps on the way to perfect electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles is wireless charging. Daimler and BMW have now agreed on jointly developing and implementing one common technology.

Wireless charging of the battery will make the handling of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles even easier. Mercedes-Benz will commence fleet testing of this "unplugged" technology with the S 500 Plug in HYBRID soon, in order to develop a real S-Class solution in recharging the high voltage battery in terms of comfort and ease of operating in the near future.

The system consists of two components: a secondary coil integrated into the under tray of the car and a primary coil integrated into a floor plate that can be placed on a garage floor for instance. Electrical energy is transmitted contact-free without the need for a cable, at a power rate of 3.6 kW and with a degree of efficiency of 90%. Daimler and BMW have agreed on jointly developing and implementing one common technology for wireless recharging high-voltage batteries of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

In September, the Mercedes-Benz S 500 PLUG IN HYBRID will be launched. It offers 325 kW of power and 650 Nm of torque, sprints in only 5.2 seconds from zero to 100 kph, and can go 33 km on electric power alone. It has certified fuel consumption of 2.8 litres for 100 kilometres, equalling 65g CO2/km. And it achieves excellent efficiency in real word driving as well. Key elements for this stunning performance are a bi-turbo V6 and a highly sophisticated hybrid powertrain.

The S 500 PLUG IN HYBRID is the first luxury sedan with a certified consumption below three litres per 100 km and another milestone on the way to emission-free mobility. After S 400 HYBRID and S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, it is the third hybrid model in the S-Class range. It combines a highly advanced hybrid powertrain with the unique innovations and comfort features of the S-Class.
    • Green
    • BMW
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Electric
    • wireless charging

    By Danny King


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