Automotive ⯀  

Trucks remain an essential utility vehicle around the world. They are the supreme workhorses that carry out extraordinary tasks. With the world turning a keen eye on electric and hybrid vehicles, trucks are leaving nothing to chance.

Sedans and saloon cars have pioneered and dominated the hybrid movement with little enthusiasm on trucks. However, this has changed with a renewed interest in trucks, with vehicle manufacturers incorporating plans on hybrid pickup trucks.

The Future Of Hybrid Pickup Trucks

Ford motors, a powerhouse in the vehicle industry, have announced a massive plan on electric vehicles to be launched under its stable. Fortunately, the Ford F150 truck has made the shortlist.

Since the 1940s, the F series trucks have made headlines with their diverse load capabilities and handling. Their production line focused on both heavy and light commercial vehicles. The 13th generation Ford F150 truck already showed signs of change with clean energy being a priority. Curb weight was reduced by the addition of light aluminum; its engine size was also reduced to enhance fuel economy.

Now the new planned truck, set to launch in 2020 or so, will have a more efficient system. Ford has released brief details on the truck that will include a mobile generator. This impressive feature provides standby power on remote sites. Pre-plan approvals include an electric qualified vehicle modifier to power train plugin. industry players will surely be keeping an eye on this development.

Competing brand workhorse is perhaps the most accomplished creator of electric trucks. Primarily, a firm with a background in battery electric delivery, an electric truck was least expected.

Workhorse has already developed an up and running W-15 model. The W-15 model weighs in at about 7200 pounds with a towing capacity of 5000 pounds. On the other hand, load haul capacity is about 2200 pounds. Their truck has an impressive 80-mile drive capability on average. It also features a gas powered range extender for additional support with an ability to attain excesses of 28 miles on the highway and 32 in the city. This makes it a top range vehicle on the premise of drive duration.

The truck's interior incorporates a futuristic feel with digital infotainment and a touch screen dashboard. Seat design is top notch with good quality leather upholstery. A raised position on the driver’s seat enhances visibility on the road. The seats also offer good and firm lumbar support. It has decent spacing on the front and back cabin, ensuring passengers have a smooth ride. Work horse truck has an enabled power export feature designed to handle a variety of tools, machinery, or simple electric household items on the go. This suits the average profile of a handy truck owner.

A true four-wheel drive vehicle with wild off-road abilities, a good ground clearance to handle both weight and terrain related distress.

Fleet companies have already shown interest in the W-15 model echoing a positive reassurance that the industry is ready and willing to absorb hybrid trucks.

The successful completion of the W-15 model has encouraged other manufacturers to make strides into electric trucks. Tesla, a renowned tech company, has had an exceptional performance on their saloon electric models. Word out is that they are one-step closer in launching their first ever truck that will be fully electric.

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VIA Motors, a company that partners closely with General Motors on the development of hybrid electric cars, has embarked on the electric truck journey too. They have developed an extended range electric truck, with the help of their partners. The specs are quite enticing, as well with a remarkable drive range of about 40 miles. Primarily this covers a wider scope than an average daily driver who handles less than 30 miles. Extended range can attain more than 300 miles all round. Payload capacity is about 1000 pounds while the gross vehicle rating is 7500 pounds. A Similar feature to the work horse W-15 model includes a 120 or 240-volt charging input unit.

Another similarity with the W-15 truck is on power export. The v truck model can export 190 kilowatts at its peak in a steady mode of propagation. Other features include a good interior with ample passenger spacing for any kind of travel.

Evidently, the truck industry is headed for a full on revolution. This will be fueled by the entry of icons, such as the Ford F-150 and new firms alike. Mother Nature will enjoy a new lifeline as electric trucks add to the list of reduced emissions. With advancements in technology, the future of trucks Is overwhelmingly promising. It is only a matter of time until we are spoilt for choice

By  Eric White	Embed
Eric, works at 51 State Autos, the UK's leading American car importer.

Automotive  

The brightest minds in the automotive world are going head to head to decide how you will power your car in the future. Will the car you drive run on hydrogen or will it be powered by a battery?

The aim of both hydrogen and electric powered vehicles is to provide the world with cars that run as well as traditionally fuelled models, while reducing the carbon footprint of the automotive industry as a whole.

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Both hydrogen and battery electric vehicles currently produce zero emissions, but that does not necessarily tell the whole story as the energy they run on has to be produced somehow.
Proponents of hydrogen point to how ubiquitous the element is and how much more power a hydrogen fuel stack can produce when compared to a battery.

They will also point out how limited battery technology currently is and how this is a limiting factor in the performance of battery electric vehicles. Fans of electric cars will retort by saying how much more mature, and green, the infrastructure for electric cars is when compared to hydrogen powered vehicles. If you are still trying to decide which fuel will be dominating the future of driving, then why not read this infographic to find out the facts about both?

Source - Electric vs Hydrogen by carleasingmadesimple.com

By 33rd Square

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Electric Vehicles  

Audi has announced that they are preparing for its first electric vehicle launch in 2018 and that they expect that electric vehicle will soon represent a large percentage of their overall business.

Slowly, but surely, the number of automakers announcing long-term commitment to electric cars keeps increasing. Lately, many luxury-car makers have embraced electric drive technology, as well, which might be taken as a sign that the entire auto industry is headed towards an electric-car revolution.

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German automaker Audi is one of the latest manufacturers of luxury vehicles to decide to launch a large lineup of battery-powered cars. During the Los Angeles Auto Show, the company announced that it expects 25% of its sales in the United States to be electric vehicles by 2025. This refers to both plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.

This statement was made by Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, and was reported by Green Car Reports. It comes as a bit of a surprise and it seems a bit too ambitious, given that Audi has yet to launch an electric car in the U.S.

Towards the end of this year, the A3 Sportback e-Tron is expected to hit U.S. dealerships, and it will be the company's first plug-in model in the North American market. The car's powertrain consists of an electrical system that includes an 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery and a 102-hp electric motor, paired with a 1.4-liter TFSI engine, delivering an additional 2014 horsepower.

In addition to the 2016 A3 e-Tron Sportback, Audi's plug-in fleet for the U.S. market is expected to include the Q7 SUV hybrid, which is due to launch in 2016, along with an all-new pure electric luxury SUV, that the company hopes will be able to compete with the Model X SUV that was recently introduced by Tesla Motors. Audi has said that the upcoming SUV will have a range of up to 311 miles, so it may well have what it takes to rival the Model X. Most of the other vehicles that are supposed to comprise 25% of all U.S. sales for Audi in 2025 will probably be plug-in and all-electric versions of existing models.

On top of launching a long-range all-electric vehicle, Audi is well aware that it needs to provide the appropriate support for it, which means an extensive fast-charging infrastructure, similar to the one offered by Tesla. The German company recently announced that it will build a network of fast-charging stations across the United States, where Audi's EVs will be able to recharge up to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, and they are expected to be available for use in about three years.

While Audi's plan is definitely good news for electric-car enthusiasts and environmentally-conscious car buyers in general, it's difficult to predict whether it will be realized as the company had imagined. Their goal seems to be a bit too optimistic and ambitious, considering that Audi would have to sell about 500,000 electric vehicles per year to meet it, which doesn't sound very realistic at the moment. In 2014, just over 130,000 EVs were sold in the United States, so for one company to be able to sell half a million by itself in a couple of years would truly be an amazing and surprising feat.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV.

Automotive  

Porsche has officially announced that it will ramp up production on their Mission E electric vehicle. It is a firm sign that a sign that Porsche is determined to become a player in the luxury electric-car segment.

German luxury-car maker Porsche is one of the companies that are looking to take on Tesla Motors and fight for electric-car supremacy, which is becoming the main challenge for many of the key players in the auto industry.

Back in September, Porsche unveiled a concept for a fully-electric car that was presented as a potential Tesla fighter, which now seems to be the ultimate goal for all automakers that are building plug-in cars. The car, named Mission E, was showed off during the Frankfurt auto show, with the company saying that it will highly likely go into production in the near future.

Mission E to Enter Production by 2020

Now, Porsche has officially announced that it will launch a production version of the Mission E, which will be largely based on the concept that had its premiere in Frankfurt. In a press release, Porsche says that the all-electric sedan will be available for purchase by the end of the decade.

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It will be the first fully-electric vehicle built by Porsche, and the company says that it will bear all hallmarks that have been typical of every model that the automaker has introduced so far, meaning it will be a luxury, high-performance vehicle that will have a handling of a sports car.

"We are resolutely taking on the challenge of electric mobility. Even with solely battery-powered sports cars, Porsche is remaining true to its philosophy and offering our customers the sportiest and technologically most sophisticated model in this market segment," said Dr. Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Porsche Executive Board.

Porsche states that it will build a new assembly plant and paint shop at the company's main site in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen specially for the Mission E, which will cost around $760 million and is expected to create over 1,000 jobs. On top of that, Porsche's engine plant will be expanded so that it can be capable of assembling electric motors on a large scale.

Long Range, Quick Charging

The company hasn't released too much information on the car's specifications, but if the numbers for the Mission E concept are any indication, it can be said that the production version can be considered a strong rival to the Model S.

The concept had a power output equivalent of 600 horsepower, enough for a 0-62-mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds. What's more, it is equipped with a charging system that Porsche says uses innovative technology and is capable of charging the car's battery to 80% in just 15 minutes. This could be a key selling point for Mission E, given that slow charge time is one of the main reasons why electric cars are still largely shunned by many consumers.

On top of that, Porsche claims that Mission E will be able to deliver a range of up to 310 miles, which along with the fast-charge system would make it a real competitor to the Model S in every sense of the word.

It's tough to say whether Mission E will be a real threat to Tesla's superior products, but the fact that it's going into production is a sign that Porsche is determined to become a player in the luxury electric-car segment, joining its German counterparts Audi, Mercedes and BMW.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV.”

Automotive  

Even with a so-called 'ludicrous speed' option installed Tesla CEO Elon Musk admits that his company is clearly “paying more attention to the needs of women” with its new SUV-minivan Model X .

Over the past couple of months, there has been much anticipation for the latest vehicle that is supposed to roll out of Tesla's manufacturing plant – the Model X SUV. It is scheduled to launch in at the end of the month, giving environmentally-aware SUV lovers a chance to get their hands on an all-electric luxury SUV built by one of the hottest automakers at the moment.

Just like the Model S sedan and the Roadster, the Model X will be a high-performance vehicle featuring a range of over 200 miles, but will boast some very different and distinguishing design features, such as the much talked-about gull-wing doors.

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On top of the different design, the Model X will be distinguished by the fact that it will have a specific target audience that Tesla has neglected when launching its previous models, according the company's CEO, himself. As the Washington Post reports, Elon Musk has said that the upcoming Model X has been specifically designed to appeal to women, after the company has realized that it's a market that has been severely underserved in the past.

Tesla's CEO said that the Model S is "a little too guy-centric", and Washington Post states that women are very fast-growing market, which makes the company's decision to aim the Model X at the female population pretty logical. What's more, SUV's are in high demand in the United States, and women are known to be particularly fond of them, so chances are that Tesla's all-electric SUV will be a hit among female car buyers.

The Washington Post reports that when Tesla decided to make the Model X more women-centric, it gathered a female focus group at the company's headquarters in Palo Alto, California last year, in order to find out which of the vehicle's features were most appealing to them. Later on, the company announced that over 50 percent of the Model X's reservations, that have reached 20,000, have been made from women, which suggests that creating a focus group exclusively consisting of female drivers was a pretty clever PR move, as well.



However, even though the Model X will target the female population, this doesn't mean that it will not offer a similarly exciting riding experience that the Model S and the Roadster provide. It will be able to go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, which is an amazing feat, considering that it's a full-size crossover utility vehicle, and an electric one, on top of that. As far as range is concerned, it is expected to be able to travel between 170 and 230 miles before it needs to be recharged. As far as price is concerned, it will cost well over $50,000.

Tesla recently said that the Model X will definitely hit the market in September, after postponing its launch several times over the past couple of months. The delays were mainly caused by issues with the SUV's most unique feature – the gull-wing doors, in addition to the inability to meet previously set production targets.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”.

Automotive  

In the market for an electric vehicle?  This new infographic may help.

The 2015 Guide To Electric Cars by carleasingmadesimple.com

By 33rd Square

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 Electric Cars  

BMW is ready to launch a new model from its i division, which will be a plug-in hybrid, instead of an all-electric vehicle, like previously thought.

BMW's electric cars from the company's “i series” have been selling quite well lately, with sales of the i3 and the i8 in the U.S. market actually exceeding expectations, so it's no surprise that the German car maker is thinking about launching another electric model, which is expected to try and battle it out with arguably the best electric car on the market, the Tesla Model S. While the potential Model S rival has been rumored to be launched somewhere around 2020, a new report in “Autobild”, a German automotive magazine, now states that BMW's latest plug-in model is set to arrive in 2018.

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According to the report, BMW is ready to launch a new model from its i division, which will be a plug-in hybrid, instead of an all-electric vehicle, like previously thought, with the Chinese premium car market as one of its main targets. The report states that this hybrid will be called i5, and will be a luxury sedan, just like the Model S. And like Tesla's ultra popular sedan, the i5 will also have a pretty hefty price tag of around 100 000 euros, as Autobild says.

Over the past few months there has been a lot of speculation regarding the platform the i5 will employ and its performances, but now Autobild has revealed specific details on the car's power output and powertrain. The i5 is expected to be based on the i3 platform, and will probably employ a powerplant that will be similar to the one BMW recently showcased in the 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype. It will be powered by a gasoline engine delivering 218 horsepower, along with an electric motor with 150 horsepower at the front end, and a second one at the car's rear end, providing an additional 272 horsepower.

This makes for a total power output of 640 horsepower, which is amazing for an electric car, but still falls short of the 690 horsepower produced by the motors mounted in the Model S P85D. The car will lag behind the Model S in terms of all-electric range, as well, being rated at 78 miles, according to Autobild, which is better than most hybrids on sale today, though. The gasoline engine will be activated when the car exceeds 37 mph.

Even though the i5 will have a shorter range than the Model S, it will likely be just as dynamic and sporty as Tesla's sedan, or maybe even more, given that it will use the Power eDrive drivetrain, which employs pretty powerful electric motors. When it comes to the i5's design, Autobild says that it will probably share a few similarities with the 7 Series, which is supposed to be released soon.

With the i5, the German luxury car maker hopes to be able to become an important player in the market for luxury electric vehicles in China, as well as North America, where the Model S is the undisputed leader at the moment. BMW reportedly plans to build 30,000 units of the i5 per year.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - 33rd Square contributor Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”

 Electric Vehicles  

By developing a completely new way of using information from GPS and location data shown by GSM, the EU DATA SIM Project simulated the consequences of a massive switch to electric vehicles, and studied the impact on mobility and electricity distribution networks.

The technology behind the design of electric vehicles is ever improving and the European Union predicts that these vehicles could be in mass production by 2020. The forecasted large-scale uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) will have an impact on how we travel and on where and when we will make demands on the electrical grid.

Knowing what the knock-on effect will be once EVs are in general use is key to preparing the way for their uptake. The EU-FP7 project DATA SIM  carried out research to establish the consequences of a mass switch to EVs, in order to recommend actions to policy makers.

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Until now, researchers have used general criteria, such employment trends within a region, to map traffic flows. Road users kept diaries, logged their trips and answered questionnaires. Although helpful, this information was not totally reliable as people can be inaccurate or imprecise.

The project has developed a completely new, and highly detailed, time-space approach based on the use of vast quantities of data from GSM and GPS.

"If too many EVs are charged at the same time, is there a risk that the street lighting will go out?"

This new behavioral model can predict what would happen if we all started driving electric tomorrow.

"For example, you could compare how many people drive electric, for how long and how far, based on the current technology on the one hand, and how this evolves when technology improves, on the other," explains project coordinator, Professor Davy Janssens, based at Hasselt University in Belgium.

Working out what people are doing when they get behind the wheel, and how far they are likely to be going, also means researchers are able to establish what and where energy demands are probably going to be.

As Janssens says, "You can see whether there is a risk of energy shortages in certain zones when a given number of vehicles are being charged. For example, if too many EVs are charged at the same time, is there a risk that the street lighting will go out?"

These answers will provide useful information for policy-makers, to reinforce the network in those specific locations or to re-design the charging point locations.

One key challenge for renewable energy is its intermittency, with peaks and drops in its production. DATA SIM also studied the possibility that the EVs could be used to store the excess of generated energy in peak period, and extra energy stored in the car’s batteries can be fed back into the grid when needed (when the cars are parked).

Car sharing, car pooling, charging and driving – coordinating how we interact with our vehicles is central to making transportation greener.

"For the first time data mining, database management, complex systems, transport, energy and computer science have all come together to find practical solutions for mobility," says Janssens.

The project, which ran for three years and ended in August 2014, will continue to build on its achievements to find new solutions for the mobility market through the efficient use of large amounts of data. DATA SIM is considering the creation of two spin off companies, and plans are currently at the development stage.




SOURCE  Digital Agenda for Europe

By 33rd Square

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 Electric Vehicles  

Tackling the issue of infrastructure for electric vehicles, BMW has announced a pilot program of street light charging stations.

The global introduction and adoption of electric vehicles depends largely on the existence of supporting infrastructure, and it's clear that until there is a wide network of charging stations in place, the market for electric vehicles will not see a significant growth. While most charging stations that are currently in place have been installed by electric utility companies and public authorities, the auto industry, itself, must contribute and help develop the charging infrastructure further. German luxury car maker BMW, for one, has decided to actively join the efforts for upgrading the infrastructure and give EV owners more charging opportunities, with a relatively simple and affordable solution, that's much more cost-effective than the conventional charging stations.

"Seamless charging infrastructure is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future."

BMW has launched a pilot program to test its new “street light” charging stations, that rely on the existing infrastructure, instead of installation of dedicated stations. The company has developed a system called “Light and Charge” - LED street lights equipped with sockets that can charge electric cars, a solution that could help EV owners charge their cars much more easily. The two prototype street light stations combine BMW's ChargeNow EV charging stations and LED technology, and were already installed in the company's home town Munich, in front of its headquarters.

"Seamless charging infrastructure is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, a BMW board of management member, according to Reuters.

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The Light and Charge street lights will be publicly available, and everyone who owns an electric vehicle, regardless of the model, will be able to use them, and pay for the electricity through a smartphone app. The app does more than just charge users – it can notify them when their car battery is fully charged, so they don't have to sit in their car waiting, and use that time to run errands, instead.

This solution could revolutionize the way people charge their electric cars and make the process much more convenient, which will surely make EVs more appealing to consumers, given that limited charging opportunities are one of the leading obstacles to a faster adoption of these alternative fuel vehicles.

With the introduction of this project, BMW continues to demonstrate its determination to help increase the popularity of electric vehicles, and make them a more viable alternative to conventional cars. The German manufacturer already introduced two plug-in models – the i3 five-door hatchback and the i8 two-door coupe – which have been selling relatively well, and it's one of the most serious potential competitors to Tesla in the electric vehicle market. In the meantime, BMW is trying to further develop electric vehicle technology and extend battery life, and cut charge times. Also, they have developed a software that helps EV owners find the nearest charging stations, in collaboration with Car Charging Group, a U.S. company that provides EV charging services, which can be used through BMW's ConnectedDrive navigation system.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - 33rd Square contributor Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”

 Electric Vehicles  

Researchers have developed a new power inverter technology that is lighter, more powerful, and much more efficient than conventional inverter. These devices are essential for use in electric vehicles.

Power inverters are one of the key components in electric vehicles, used for converting DC power into AC power, supplying a car's electric motor with power. That's why they further improving the design of power inverters can play a major role in the development of electric vehicles and help make them more efficient, and scientists are focusing on finding a way to make inverters more powerful, and more affordable, at the same time. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been working on a new power inverter technology, and they have managed to create an inverter that is lighter, more powerful, and much more efficient than conventional inverters.

"Wide bandgap technology enables devices to perform more efficiently at a greater range of temperatures than conventional semiconductor materials."

The key aspect of their innovation is a new, so-called wide bandgap material, made of silicon carbide, that they used in order to create a new type of semiconductor (shown below). "Wide bandgap technology enables devices to perform more efficiently at a greater range of temperatures than conventional semiconductor materials," said ORNL's Madhu Chinthavali, who led the Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Group on this project. "This is especially useful in a power inverter, which is the heart of an electric vehicle." The new semiconductors are produced using 3D printers, which allows researchers to modify the shape of inverters, enhancing their performances significantly.

Wide Bandgap Material power inverter from Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Scientists say that, thanks to 3D printing, the 30-kilowatt inverter features higher overall efficiency, higher temperature capability, as well as higher power density, which means that it is able to transfer heat more efficiently, and minimize electrical losses. What's more, the lower-temperature components in the prototype inverter are closer to the high-temperature ones, resulting in reduced size of the unit. "With additive manufacturing, complexity is basically free, so any shape or grouping of shapes can be imagined and modeled for performance," Chinthavali said.

In addition to this, the fact that there are more small capacitors that are connected to each other inside the inverter, allows better cooling and reduces production costs.

According to the researchers, this inverter provides an efficiency of 99%, far beyond the target that they had set, suggesting that 3D printing might be the perfect solution for manufacturing cheaper, more reliable and more compact inverters, considering that only 50% of the ORNL's prototype are 3D printed. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory continues to work on power inverter technology, and scientists hope that they will be able to develop an inverter that will be entirely 3Dprinted.

At the moment, this technology is still under development, but it is expected to become commercially available in the near future, and when it does, it will undoubtedly have a great contribution to making electric cars more affordable and more energy efficient.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV.”

 Electric Vehicles  

Range anxiety, is well a well-known condition for the early adopters of electric vehicles.  So too is charging anxiety; the ability to find a suitable charging station for your electric car. Now, a number of car makers are working to create wireless charging systems that may even be embedded directly into the road that may lead to widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

In order for electric vehicles to become a truly viable alternative to conventional cars, the slow charging issue is one of the challenges that will have to be overcome pretty quickly. The fact that most electric vehicles take more than five hours to be fully recharged, creates a so-called charging anxiety, as yet another hurdle, in addition to range anxiety and high cost, that's preventing them from achieving a mass-market penetration. Several potential solutions to this problem have been suggested in the past few years, including DC fast chargers provided by a few car makers and energy companies, as well as the supercharger stations developed by Tesla.

In addition to fast charging, one of the best electric vehicle charging solutions, is wireless charging. Several automakers, including Toyota, Volvo, and Audi, have been working on a technology that would allow electric vehicles to be recharged without having to be plugged into an outlet. Wireless charging involves a charging pad that is embedded in the road surface, and induction coils installed in a vehicle's undercarriage. The pad is connected to the electric grid, and it creates an
electromagnetic field, transmitting power to the induction coil mounted on the car, which converts the power into electricity and charges the battery.

Will charging stations become obsolete, even before they are widely implemented?

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All it takes to recharge a car through this method is park it over a charging pad, and the battery will start charging on its own. You don't have to get a cable and connect your car's charging port to an outlet. This is a much more convenient way of recharging an electric vehicle, and it's also faster than using the standard method that involves plugging the car into a charging station.

All it takes to recharge a car through this method is park it over a charging pad, and the battery will start charging on its own. You don't have to get a cable and connect your car's charging port to an outlet.

Wireless charging pads can be built into driveways, parking lots and garages, so that owners don't have to look for outlets and bring cables along wherever they go in order to recharge their vehicles. In the future, as automakers develop wireless charging technology further, charging pads could be embedded into highways, creating designated charging lanes with a series of pads under the road surface, allowing owners to recharge their vehicles while driving. This would bring many benefits to both consumers and the auto industry. For one thing, it would help popularize electric vehicles, as it would reduce charging times and make charging more convenient. Being able to recharge a car while on the move would also extend its range, and an increased driving range is something that could encourage more consumers to buy electric vehicles.

Furthermore, building charging pads into roads is cheaper and easier than installing EV charging stations, so they can help improve the EV infrastructure in a more cost-effective manner.

However, while the idea of wireless charging does seem pretty appealing and it looks like it could be realized relatively easily, automakers say that they need a bit more time to test the technology, so the first electric cars equipped with wireless charging systems should be introduced to the market in about 2-3 years. As far as the infrastructure is concerned, it will only cover driveways, garages and parking lots at first, extending to city streets and highways later on.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”