Google Working On Wireless Charging For Self-Driving Cars (inhabitat.com)

MikeChino writes: New FCC filings suggest that Google is currently installing wireless charging systems for self-driving cars at its headquarters in Mountain View. The documents suggest that the systems will be installed by Hevo Power and Momentum Dynamics. Both companies offer technology that can wirelessly charge an electric car via plates that are embedded in the ground.

Comments

cellphones are bad enough

[Anonymous Coward]

Wireless charging is wildly inefficient, in no way is it a better idea to do this than using a plug especially for something as hungry as a car.

Re:like an electric toothbrush?

[Firethorn]

Though it still does not explain why induction might be better than using a conventional dock, especially for an automated car.

Okay, have you seen tesla's automated charge connector? It's like something out of a bad horror movie.

Still, a list in no particular order:
More resistant against vandals
doesn't take up real estate with a charging station
No need for a person to hook up the charger(or a horror movie snake-thing)
faster connection
no need to play with adapters
no cables to trip over
ability to embed charger at stop lights, bus stops(for electric buses), taxi stops(for taxis), and such for a 'quick top-off'. Might not matter for a Tesla type car, but for a electric bus? Might be the difference between getting through en entire day and having to swap out the batteries for a bus or taxi.

Re:Gee, the Roger Rabbit electric bus revisited

[silentcoder]

So you're example of a past attempt is from circa 1989 ? You do realize that practically every piece of technology in the tool-chain up to and including the batteries (and their charge times) have gotten orders better in the decades since then ? That's like saying "New horizons was an impossible mission because when we launched Apollo 11 it could barely make it to the moon and back".

inductive charging efficiency

[Firethorn]

At the scale they're doing induction charging, it's actually quite efficient. Part of it is that you don't need a separate transformer to get the voltage to the right level for the car. You're only loosing a percent or so for the systems they're examining.