Hyundai patent suggests company is taking wireless charging for electric vehicles to the next level
A patent recently filed by Hyundai with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveals that the brand is working on technology that will allow electric vehicles to be charged while they are in motion.
This technology is often referred to as wireless dynamic charging and uses a specially designed charging plate that is located underneath the vehicle. This charging plate draws charge from electromagnetic coils mounted under the road surface.
There are currently a number of dynamic charging projects underway, including a trajectory 14th Street in Detroit, Michiganas well as pilot programs in Japan and Norway.
In addition to the high costs that this technology entails, there is another problem: maintaining a perfectly smooth road surface without potholes. This ensures the correct distance between the wireless charging receiver in the car and the coils under the road surface.
According to AutoBuzzHyundai’s patent appears to address this issue, as it features a “height-adjustable inductive power transfer coupling” that can raise and lower itself while driving to ensure the perfect distance between the car and the road. This results in a charging experience that is free from interruptions.
The second part of the patent is based on knowledge from car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce. Both companies use high-definition camera technology to read the road surface and make small adjustments to the suspension to maintain the perfect driving experience.
Rather than adjusting the adaptive suspension, Hyundai’s idea is to use the data from this live camera feed to influence the height of the wireless charging pad underneath the vehicle in question.
Hyundai also describes how its Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology can help users navigate by informing them of wireless charging routes along the way for optimal battery efficiency.
Analysis: one step closer
While dynamic wireless charging already works for some projects, these are usually in highly controlled environments, which is the basis for predictable and easy-to-maintain bus routes in a small German town, to give an example from an expert in wireless charging for electric vehicles. Electreon.
A similar project from a university in Japan, which we reported on last year, involves wireless charging stations at traffic lights and other controlled infrastructure in the city center. This makes the connection between the vehicle and electromagnetic coils more controllable because the electric car is stationary.
Granted, the battery charges take much less time, but the project leaders are convinced that frequent stops in a busy city will be enough to significantly increase the range.
All of the above projects are advancing the technology, but it’s still a long way from the vision of the future where electric vehicles are charged as they travel the world’s highways, eliminating the need to stop and charge along the way.
While Hyundai’s proposed innovation doesn’t solve all the hurdles (cost, thermal management, maintenance, massive infrastructure overhaul), it’s a step in the right direction. It joins a number of wireless charging proposals from other EV manufacturers and researchers that could make the technology a reality rather than a utopian transportation dream.