Genesis makes some eye-catching and dynamic vehicles, and in 2022 the automaker will take that philosophy to the EV space with its GV60 SUV, but the big story with the car isn't its release or design.
Genesis says that the GV60 will be offered with an optional wireless car charging feature that can replenish its batteries faster than a typical home wall charger.
Using technology provided by WiTricity, an American firm, the GV60's optional wireless charging feature will take around six hours to recharge the batteries, compared to approximately ten hours using a traditional wall charger.
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WiTricity's estimates place the charging efficiency of its wireless systems to between 89 and 94 percent - around that of Level 2 chargers.
Genesis has not yet released official battery specs for the GV60, but most expect a battery pack that is at least 58 kWh, with a possibility of up to 77.4 kWh.
The vehicle goes on sale in South Korea later this year and will hit US dealers' lots sometime in 2022.
Even so, Genesis won't begin piloting the wireless charging feature in South Korea until late 2022, which means it will be quite some time before other global markets get a chance to try it out.
Analysis: a turning point for electric cars?
Wireless charging for EVs is an exciting concept and could be one that helps park more electric cars in more buyers' driveways.
Depending on the implementation, a wireless charging pad could be easier to slot into existing parking lots, such as for apartment owners who don't have dedicated garage space, or for owners whose home parking space makes it inconvenient or impossible to install a wall charger or charging station.
The speeds claimed by Genesis and WiTricity are impressive, as they run counter to what many people believe about wirelessly charging anything. Just look at wireless phone charging - it's slower than the wired alternative.
This isn't the first we've heard about wireless car charging however. BMW released a limited run of wireless charging pads for a specific plug-in hybrid model back in 2018, while chip maker Qualcomm has its own 'Halo' wireless car charging technology which was used to recharge the safety and medical cars at Formula E races back in 2014.
Despite this technology having been around for years (Qualcomm's Halo tech first came to light in 2012), it's yet to engrain itself in the consumer vehicles.
There's still plenty of time between now and even the beginning of a test program for the technology, so anything can happen, but a safe and functioning wireless charging option is only a good thing for consumers... and the adoption of electric cars.
Via SlashGear
