[CEATEC 2013] Wireless charging is not just meant for phones and tablets, as cars too, do seem to be catching up on this particular idea. It is just one more step in making the ownership of a fully electric vehicle more convenient. Toyota’s Prius has been quite the frontrunner when it comes to hybrid vehicles, and on the CEATEC showfloor this year, they showcased the Toyota Prius HPV with wireless parking charge capability.
After all, there should be nothing more convenient than to just drive up to your garage, park your car, and let the battery charge up by itself, right? No longer do you need to have yet another item on your list to remember, and best of all is, at least your ride’s battery will be fully charged the next morning.
The Toyota Prius HPV will be a 1.8l model, with a maximum output of 73kW and a maximum torque of 142Nm from the gas engine, while its AC synchronous motor delivers a maximum output of 60kW and maximum torque of 207Nm. The lithium ion battery takes around 180 minutes of charging to reach its full capacity on AC100V, and just half the amount of time with AC200V.
Other specifications include a plug-in hybrid fuel consumption rate of 61km/L, while the hybrid fuel consumption rate stands at 31.6km/L. Using electric power alone, it can run for up to 26km with a maximum speed of 100km/h, not too shabby, eh?
Toyota has plans to begin verification tests for wireless charging in Japan, the US and Europe sometime next year. The entire system will comprise of an on-board charging unit, a wireless communication control, a power source (of course), a primary coil and a secondary coil to get the job done. It relies on resonance between the changes in the magnetic field intensity between the two coils so that power can be transmitted to juice up an exhausted battery. The only thing that you, the driver needs to do? Align your car properly above the primary coil when you are parking, and you’re good to go.
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