Volkswagen and the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory have set a new benchmark in wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging, successfully transferring 270 kW of power to a Porsche Taycan.
Oak Ridge officials compared the wireless EV charging tests to the wireless charging technology used in smartphones and other small electronics. The advancements from these experiments are expected to facilitate the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs.
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Thomas Net commented on the achievement, noting the current limitations of power transfer systems. “A Taycan cannot accommodate today’s power transfer systems because they are too bulky and heavy,” he said. Current systems can transfer up to 11 kW of power at 92% efficiency.
In March, Volkswagen and Oak Ridge researchers wirelessly transferred 100 kW of power to an EV, setting a new record at the time. Their latest experiment surpassed this, marking significant progress in the field.
For the experiment, Oak Ridge scientists developed a wireless charging system installed in the undercarriage of a Porsche Taycan. This system features lightweight, polyphase electromagnetic coupling coils, which provide higher power density in smaller coils, each measuring just over 19 inches in diameter.
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Oak Ridge scientists reported that the system could transfer power across a nearly 5-inch gap between the ground and the coil, estimating that it could charge a Porsche Taycan to 50% capacity in just 10 minutes with over 95% efficiency. The system is designed to prevent issues such as excessive voltage/current, short-circuiting, and overheating.
