Is the "plug-in" era nearly over?

[edatoakrun]

Yet another start up with an inductive model, who's (inflated???) arguments for the advantages of inductive public charging are correct only if the analysis of lower cost and ~ equivalent efficiency materializes.

...There are four major problems with plug-in charging stations, according to HEVO Power co-founder Steven Monks. HEVO stands for Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Optimization.

“Drivers forget to plug in all the time. Drivers will also back into kiosks damaging the units. There’s vandalism and theft of the units themselves. And sometimes there’s faulty connectors, and these can damage vehicles, with average repair costs of $14,000,” (???) says Monks.

With these four areas in focus, HEVO created its patent-pending technology, known as electromagnetic resonance, which enables drivers of electric vehicles to park on the charging station and fill up -- without any need for a plug. The stations themselves look like manhole covers that can blend into the streetscape.

“What we have found is we are able to charge vehicles at the same comparable rates as plug-in stations, at the same efficiencies as plug-in stations,” says Jeremy McCool, HEVO Power’s co-founder and CEO...

http://news.discovery.com/autos/fuel-and-alternative-fuel-technologies/manhole-covers-wirelessly-charge-cars-131003.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As I said in my OP, my personal belief is that inductive charging will probably prevail simply because BEV/PHEV buyers will demand this gee-whiz feature.

With the two manufactures who will (IMO) probably be leading in sales of PHEVs and BEVs respectively both introducing inductive charging in the next few years, will other BEV/PHEV manufactures hold out for cables and plugs?

Technical and efficiency arguments aside, I think most buyers will consider this a very desirable feature, and I find it hard to believe that Tesla or Cadillac will be selling vehicles requiring plugs in ~2016, if Nissan and Toyota will be selling vehicles that "plug themselves in", at a small fraction of the cost of the big-bucks "Luxury" BEV/PHEVs.

 

[edatoakrun]

Another story on Hevo's no-plug charging system, with added details on claimed efficiency and kW:

...a new system of wireless charging stations that Hevo plans to deploy in New York’s Washington Square Park in early 2014, beginning with two Smart ForTwo electric vehicles operated by NYU.

McCool and his crew opted for a resonance charging system rather than the traditional inductive charging system used by some smartphones, tablets, and retrofitted EVs like the Nissan Leaf.

Traditionally, inductive charging requires a primary coil to generate an electromagnetic field that is picked up by a second coil mounted underneath the EV to juice up the battery pack. But it’s not particularly efficient, with large amounts of energy dissipating through the coil. With a resonance-based system, both coils are connected with capacitors that resonate at a specific frequency. The energy losses are reduced and you can transmit more energy at a faster rate and further apart.

Hevo’s system comes in three parts: a power station that can either be bolted to the street or embedded in the pavement, a vehicle receiver that’s connected to the battery, and a smartphone app that lets drivers line up their vehicle with the station and keep tabs on charging.

In its current form, Hevo’s system is classed as a Level 2 charging station, with 220-volts and up to 10 kilowatts of energy being transmitted from the pad to the vehicle. McCool says the system can put out more than 10 kW, depending on the application...

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/10/hevo-power-manholes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[edatoakrun]

Evatran, Bosch will sell wireless home charger for as low as $1,998*

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, the big news for plug in vehicles is that they can now start to ditch the plug. As expected, the system costs around $3,000 and is available for both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. For the first 250 customers, though, Evatran is offering $1,000 off the standard price, a 30 percent discount. Deliveries start next month and Evatran says it expects the discounted units to all be snatched up in the first half of the year.

The wireless charger charges as quickly as conventional corded systems.
Called the Plugless Wireless EV charger, the 240-volt station will be installed by Bosch and needs a specific adapter to be used with the Volt or the Leaf (the Leaf version costs $100 more). So, any two-EV families out there will need to pony up double if there's a Chevy and a Nissan in the garage. Of course, since the Plugless system only works with older Leafs (2010-2012 model years - but with any Volt), any late adopters will not be able to take advantage of the new technology, for now...

http://green.autoblog.com/2014/01/06/evatran-bosch-sell-wireless-home-charger-2000/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Pipcecil]

Evatran, Bosch will sell wireless home charger for as low as $1,998*

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, the big news for plug in vehicles is that they can now start to ditch the plug. As expected, the system costs around $3,000 and is available for both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. For the first 250 customers, though, Evatran is offering $1,000 off the standard price, a 30 percent discount. Deliveries start next month and Evatran says it expects the discounted units to all be snatched up in the first half of the year.

The wireless charger charges as quickly as conventional corded systems.
Called the Plugless Wireless EV charger, the 240-volt station will be installed by Bosch and needs a specific adapter to be used with the Volt or the Leaf (the Leaf version costs $100 more). So, any two-EV families out there will need to pony up double if there's a Chevy and a Nissan in the garage. Of course, since the Plugless system only works with older Leafs (2010-2012 model years - but with any Volt), any late adopters will not be able to take advantage of the new technology, for now...

http://green.autoblog.com/2014/01/06/evatran-bosch-sell-wireless-home-charger-2000/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its nice that it can be retrofitted to take advantage of vehicles already on the road, but my big problem is the charging speed. $3,000 (assuming you don't get the discount) is A LOT to pay for something that doesn't charge your vehicle any faster and is probably either the same or less efficient than a standard cord system. $3,000 is hard to justify shaving off 30 seconds to plug in my car...

Curious, I wonder if the system still has to go through the OBC and would a delay timer on the leaf or volt still opperate correctly?

 

[redLEAF]

Not nearly $3,000 but perhaps it could be that much with the install ...

'Nissan Leaf costs $1,540, while the wireless chargers for the Chevy Volt and the Cadillac ELR are priced at $1,260 and $1,940'

http://autoweek.com/article/green-c...er&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awdailydrive

No mention of how this system does in snowy/slushy/salty environments but I'm sure it would be fine in more moderate climates. Just like with the plug-in EVSE's, once the price comes down probably a more viable option. I do wonder how long my Schneider EVlink plug-in EVSE (first generation) unit will 'last' but has performed quite well over the last 3 1/2 years.

 

[TomT]

I'm not lazy enough to see any ROI in it for me...

Not nearly $3,000 but perhaps it could be that much with the install ...

 

[desiv]

I'm not lazy enough to see any ROI in it for me...

If it ends up being all about whether or not most people are lazy enough, then this is a given it's going to happen...

Personally, I think it will become more popular over time.
I think there's a huge benefit for public chargers being setup this way, as there should be less damage, both intentional and unintentional.
I had to call Aerovironment recently because the handle for the quick charger was coming loose from the cable. (Not like exposed wires, but getting there..)
They sent someone out and replaced it/fixed it... Yay AV!!!

But no cable means no cable repairs. ;-)

desiv

 

[TomT]

It only works with L2 charging. It is not compatible with QC and never will be as long as it continues to be DC since it is essentially a transformer... Plus, I doubt it could ever practically handle such a high power level as currently designed...

I had to call Aerovironment recently because the handle for the quick charger was coming loose from the cable. (Not like exposed wires, but getting there..)

 

[desiv]

It only works with L2 charging. It is not compatible with QC and never will be as long as it continues to be DC since it is essentially a transformer... Plus, I doubt it could ever practically handle such a high power level as currently designed...

Too bad, as that would be one of the best drivers.

Beyond that, it's convenience/cost for end users.

Tougher nut to crack...

desiv

 

[GRA]

It only works with L2 charging. It is not compatible with QC and never will be as long as it continues to be DC since it is essentially a transformer... Plus, I doubt it could ever practically handle such a high power level as currently designed...

I had to call Aerovironment recently because the handle for the quick charger was coming loose from the cable. (Not like exposed wires, but getting there..)

Most of the charging needed is L1/L2, so I don't see the inability to handle QCs as a major issue. I did just read about a wireless charger capable of handling either 10 or maybe it was 20kW; I'll try and find that article and provide a link. Once autonomous cars arrive, wireless charging will be a no-brainer, as the cars can park themselves to charge and then move to a non-charging spot when they're done, until such time as almost every parking space allows charging (many decades away). This is so much simpler and more reliable than using some sort of articulated arm with all the sensors etc. that would require to make connections, that I'm amazed that some companies (including Tesla) are still talking about/developing the latter. but then Tesla did insist on Falcon Wing doors on the Model X, so maybe this is just part of their DNA - why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

If the cars came with both inductive and plug inlets, and some public stations offered inductive, it would give you more options.

No one could unplug you.

Probably more reliable and less maintenance for public stations.

At the workplace, maybe some future automated pad would service several cars per shift.

 

[TomT]

Tesla is looking at 100Kw and above charging rates... That pretty much means a hardwire connection for quite some time.

This is so much simpler and more reliable than using some sort of articulated arm with all the sensors etc. that would require to make connections, that I'm amazed that some companies (including Tesla) are still talking about/developing the latter. but then Tesla did insist on Falcon Wing doors on the Model X, so maybe this is just part of their DNA - why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

 

[GRA]

This is so much simpler and more reliable than using some sort of articulated arm with all the sensors etc. that would require to make connections, that I'm amazed that some companies (including Tesla) are still talking about/developing the latter. but then Tesla did insist on Falcon Wing doors on the Model X, so maybe this is just part of their DNA - why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

Tesla is looking at 100Kw and above charging rates... That pretty much means a hardwire connection for quite some time.

That's fine, and there's no reason the system's can't co-exist; quick charging is closer to the gas station model than the typical EV charging for local use, so different charging methods for different roles isn't a problem.

 

[GRA]

I did just read about a wireless charger capable of handling either 10 or maybe it was 20kW; I'll try and find that article and provide a link.

Found it and it's not 10 or 20 kW, it's 30!

China’s ZTE pushing ahead with high-power wireless charging vehicle test deployment

http://insideevs.com/chinas-zte-working-30-kw-wireless-charging/

. . . Tian said that ZTE’s inductive charging WPT module has a potential capacity of up to 30 kW, with a gap of 20 cm and efficiency of up to 90%. The footprint of the device is less than 1 m2; frequency is 85 kHz.

Not at the 30kW level yet, but they have installed a fair number of wireless charging for buses in China to date, as described in the article.

 

[GRA]

Once autonomous cars arrive, wireless charging will be a no-brainer, as the cars can park themselves to charge and then move to a non-charging spot when they're done, until such time as almost every parking space allows charging (many decades away). This is so much simpler and more reliable than using some sort of articulated arm with all the sensors etc. that would require to make connections, that I'm amazed that some companies (including Tesla) are still talking about/developing the latter. but then Tesla did insist on Falcon Wing doors on the Model X, so maybe this is just part of their DNA - why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

This is the sort of thing that makes me question company engineers' sanity, via ievs:

Volkswagen Develops Automated Quick Charging e-smartConnect (w/video)

http://insideevs.com/volkswagen-develops-automated-quick-charging-e-smartconnect-wvideo/

 

[desiv]

..- why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

I work for the state, so I don't understand this statement... ;-)

Seriously, when the cost difference shrinks even more (thanx again early adopters when you start buying these), I think we'll have more adoption...
RIght now, even if the cost is down to around $2000, it's around $500 for a basic plug in EVSE.
For $1500, I think a lot of people will continue to plug in..

Although I do think public inductive EVSEs would help people get familiar with it.
That said, a public inductive EVSE still would require a change to current cars. They still have to add something for it to work.
So we might be out a bit, until the car manufacturers agree on a standard and it starts going out in the default build of the cars.

I expect that to take a while...

desiv

 

[GRA]

..- why do it simple when you can do it with lots of unnecessary complication and expense?

I work for the state, so I don't understand this statement... ;-)

Seriously, when the cost difference shrinks even more (thanx again early adopters when you start buying these), I think we'll have more adoption...
RIght now, even if the cost is down to around $2000, it's around $500 for a basic plug in EVSE.
For $1500, I think a lot of people will continue to plug in..

Although I do think public inductive EVSEs would help people get familiar with it.
That said, a public inductive EVSE still would require a change to current cars. They still have to add something for it to work.
So we might be out a bit, until the car manufacturers agree on a standard and it starts going out in the default build of the cars.

I expect that to take a while...

desiv

Like every other new tech, it will begin at the higher end of the market and work its way down market as the price decreases. We're already seeing this, with the companies getting ready to introduce wireless charging on their cars being at the luxury end of the market - see http://www.autonews.com/article/20150106/OEM06/150109960/bmw-revives-wireless-charging-to-cut-electric-car-hassles

 

[GRA]

Here's another, via GCC:

Qualcomm and BRUSA sign commercial wireless electric vehicle charging license agreement

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150729-brusa.html

BRUSA Elektronik AG, an automotive Tier 1 power electronics supplier, has licensed Qualcomm Incorporated’s Halo (earlier post) patented inventions to commercialize Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) systems for Plug-In Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (EVs). Under the terms of the agreement, Qualcomm granted to BRUSA a royalty-bearing patent license to develop, make and supply WEVC systems for certain automobile manufacturers. . . .

Qualcomm Halo uses high-power, resonant magnetic inductive wireless energy transfer and supports a relatively wide air gap between base charging unit (BCU) and vehicle charging unit (VCU).

The charging pad’s multi-coil design (“Double “D” Quadrature”) delivers high energy-transfer efficiency and high power—3.3 kW, 6.6 kW or 20 kW—even if the pads are misaligned. The high degree of tolerance in both the vertical (z) and lateral (x,y) planes means drivers do not have to park accurately or need complex and expensive on-board alignment systems. . . .

 

[redLEAF]

Another take on 'plugless' charging ... they mention their cost to build it is around 1,000 Euros (about $1,096 USD) for the new Audi Q7 e-tron but not sure how much the customer would pay; charging 'stream' image looks like a miniature 'beam me up Scotty' for a transporter (pretty cool ...)

http://www.motoring.com.au/news/201...i/q7/inductive-charging-vital-says-audi-50439

 

[mjblazin]

I assume it is not for people with pacemakers. I don't know how it moves 5-10 kWh an hour across open air, but it can't be good for devices operating in the milliwatt range.