The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), has awarded Kia Motors and Mojo Mobility a funding grant for their Vehicle Technologies program in hopes that it will yield a wireless fast charger for electric vehicles.
Mojo Mobility have a background in wireless charging for cell phones and other devices, but it seems they have developed the technology for a 20-kWh wireless charger.
The fast chargers will be developed with the help of a fleet of Kia Soul EV vehicles.
Engineers working on the project will be split between the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center in Michigan, and the Mojo Mobility center in Santa Clara, California.
The first step in the process will be to create a charger that delivers 85% grid to vehicle efficiency when charging over 10 kW.
While that isn’t necessarily fast charging, it is more than the regular 6 kW charging rate.
The next phase will see the efficiency improved to 92%, while the final phase will be focused on real world testing of performance, safety, durability, and more.
The Mojo Mobility system employs something called “Near Field Power” technology. Wireless charging requires a unit to send and one to receive.
These are generally coils of wire, which is like a transformer set-up with distance in between.
One of the issues that they hope to fix with the project is the misalignment that occurs between the transmitter and receiver.
The vehicle will now be able to charge when parked in various positions as opposed to having to be precisely over the transmitter.
