FollowUtah State University researchers have made a breakthrough in the quest to make in-road electric vehicle chargers practical for the real world, managing to wirelessly transmit 5 kilowatts of electricity across a 10-inch gap with 90% efficiency. That’s huge for a technology that has struggled to gain traction because of inefficiencies and difficulties bridging enough of a gap to make inductive chargers useful in highways, where chargers are a significant distance away from car batteries and need to deliver large amounts of electricity in a short period of time.
Imagine not only not needing to stop for gas on your cross-country trip, but not needing to stop to recharge either. In-highway EV chargers could theoretically replace all refueling stations near major public roads, replacing them with either a toll to help pay for the on-the-go charge or free electricity via solar-charging highways. In addition, if EVs didn’t need to travel as far between charges, automakers could shrink battery pack size, reducing vehicle weight and cost without worrying about inadequate vehicle range, and leaving more room in your car for packing the fun stuff for your cross-country trek.
Source: inhabitat
