Tesla Confirms Development of Wireless Charger for Electric Vehicles
Tesla has acquired Wiferion, a Germany-based electric car technology and charging company that specializes in wireless charging for electric cars. Wiferion develops wireless charging technologies not only for electric cars but also for the robotics and industrial sectors. The German startup's technology allows lithium batteries to be charged without any physical contact by positioning them over a ground surface. Since the batteries of electric cars are located at the bottom of the car, the startup's charging system is installed directly on the ground or asphalt. For example, a Tesla can start charging without any additional effort as soon as it arrives over the startup's charging point.
Last year, Wiferion entered the North American market by signing a global licensing agreement with WiTricity, which featured wireless charging technology in promotional campaigns using the Tesla Model 3. The official financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed, but it is expected to be in the range of several tens of millions of dollars, likely between 50 and 100 million dollars.
Tesla officials, who have so far preferred to keep developments under wraps, confirmed the work on wireless charging technology through Tesla's chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, who appeared in a Cybertruck video released by Jay Leno. Tesla's Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, stated, "We are working on wireless charging. So at this point, you don't need to plug anything into the car. You park in your garage, come over the pad, and your car charges." It is not yet known how Tesla plans to implement a wireless charging ecosystem, what the charging speed will be in kilowatts, or whether this system will be used in Superchargers. It is estimated that the first Tesla cars compatible with wireless charging will be on the road by 2024.