Cable-free recharging of electric vehicles might become a reality soon… BMW and Siemens are working on a joint project aimed at implementing the phenomena of electric induction for the purpose of recharging electomobiles, according to bmwblog.com.

Image: www.bmwblog.com

During Hannover Messe 2011, Siemens presented the development project of inductive charging station that was created by the brand in cooperation with BMW. The key elements of the stations are two induction coils. The first one will be installed underground in the cities and thus, connected to a public electric grid, while the second one will be attached to the bottom panel of the vehicle. When a driver stops with two coils confronting each other vertically, the charging process will begin. The underground location sounds like a perfect idea as long as it protects the recharging station against vandalism, wear and tear and will be out of human reach.

«When the driver starts the charging process, an electric current begins to flow through the primary coil. The resulting magnetic field induces an electric current in the secondary coil, which recharges the battery. Electricity is transmitted from the grid through all of the components to the battery at an efficiency of more than 90 percent. The magnetic field is generated only in an exactly predetermined area between the two coils. The system therefore generates a magnetic field whose strength in and around the vehicle is far below the internationally recommended limit of 6.25 microteslas,» state the developers of the project in the press release.

In May 2011, the brands plan to test a prototype with a charging power of 3.6 kilowatts in an electric vehicle. In June, the developers will hold trials in Berlin to further optimize and improve the technology, see how it works in real life conditions and gather customer feedback. The project is funded by the German Environment Ministry.

This initiative is totally in line with the latest positioning of BMW, according to which the brand represents itself not as a car manufacturer, but as a «mobile solution provider».