Charging From A Distance

Toyota Invests In Wireless Car Charging

Electric cars are all over the news, we've certainly covered them at length.  One of the biggest questions surrounding electrics vehicles (EVs) is the practicality of charging them.  Well, Toyota is looking to improve on that.  

The automaker has signed an agreement WiTricity to develop a wireless charger.  No connection, no point of contact at all.  

Basically, it's not too far off from a wireless connection on a computer.  The car would have to be parked in the general vicinity of the charger to charge.  No charging while driving...yet.  

Toyota hopes to launch this technology with the Prius plug in in a few years.   

"We believe that resonance wireless charging is suitable for automobiles and aims for its early practical use," Toyota said in a statement.  

The hope is that simplifying the charging process, electric vehicles will become more pervasive and accepted.  

Car and Driver said the technology is still a few years away and most likely won't be ready for the initial Prius plug in launch.  They do, however, note the technology's implications for the future of electric vehicles.  

"We imagine that once wireless charging hits the EV scene, nobody will reminisce fondly about the days of plugging your electric car into an extension cord," Car and Driver said.