Electric cars promise a better experience than the gas vehicles that have dominated our roads for more than 100 years. They smooth out jarring stop-and-go traffic, sail down the highway with nothing more than a whisper from their motors, and accelerate instantaneously. EVs are cheaper to fuel and better for the environment than internalcombustion vehicles. They’ve even reshaped how we interact with our cars beyond driving, allowing owners to charge their vehicles at home and wake up to a full battery every morning.
For as seamless as driving and owning an electric car is, though, the experience of charging an electric car often incites frustration, anxiety, and confusion. American EV drivers must navigate a patchwork of public charging infrastructure with four different connectors while routinely dealing with broken equipment. Bulky cords present a trip hazard at public charging stations and at home. Cars shared by family members, employees, or customers aren’t plugged in when they should be. And since automakers haven’t standardized the location of the charging port on EVs, a driver may have to tailor how they park to accommodate the charging equipment. Dealing with these headaches is one of the major friction points of owning an EV.
Even the act of plugging in an electric car mimics the process of refueling a gas car— a regular reminder that the way we charge EVs hasn’t kept pace with technological advances. There’s a better way to charge electric cars.
WiTricity, a trailblazer in wireless charging for electric vehicles, has developed a solution to these problems. Its magnetic resonance technology allows a driver to simply park their EV over a charging pad and walk away knowing that their car will recharge with the same speed and efficiency as plugging in to Level 2 equipment. The first vehicles with this capability are now entering production in Asian markets. As automakers and Tier 1 suppliers look to differentiate their EVs with this leading-edge technology, we wanted to understand U.S. car buyers’ interest in wireless EV charging. Based on our latest research, it’s clear that EV shoppers understand and value the benefits that this technology provides.
Download WiTricity’s report The Electric Car Unplugged to read more.
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