TDK’s contactless charging system makes it easy to charge your EV

[CEATEC 2012] While charging your electric vehicle (EV) isn’t exactly challenging, it looks like companies are trying to make it easier than it already is. At CEATEC 2012, TDK showed off its upcoming contactless charging system. What it basically does is it allows drivers to charge their EVs by just parking in the right spot. This technology works with the use of coils at the bottom of the car and on the charging platform which the car parks at. The magnetic field generated by the coils will allow the transfer of electrical power from the base to the car, charging the latter without any contact at all.

At the moment (in its prototype stage) it is represented by an ugly extension sticking out from the back of the car, but we’re pretty sure it’ll go through some design changes before we see the final product. TDK plans to let car manufacturers use this technology first in the future, and then they’ll probably sell it as an aftermarket solution if it takes off. Seems like a pretty good solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist, but hey- it’s never a bad thing to make simple tasks in life easier, right? Problems I see with this technology – you’ll need to park at the same spot, facing the same direction all the time. Unless you’re willing to shift around the charging base. And if the final product does end up looking like the prototype, I doubt it’s going to sell well. TDK could take a leaf out of Nissan’s book for its upcoming LEAF wireless charger if they need some design cues.

George Wong
Categories: Concepts, Transportation
Tags: CEATEC, ceatec 2012, ev, tdk