In this video, This Old House home technology expert Ross Trethewey takes us to WiTricity to talk about wireless charging for electric vehicles. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Ross Trethewey takes us on a road trip to talk about wireless EV charging. Ross discusses wireless charging on a small scale with an EV charging expert before looking at larger-scale chargers. Folks can simply park over the top of these units to charge their cars. Ross learns about the magnetic field and coils and the future of wireless charging in the American car market. Wireless Charging Could Be Coming To Your Garage Wireless devices are all around us. Our internet is wireless, as are our thermostats, doorbells, and even washer and dryer controls. We can even charge our wireless phones wirelessly. Wireless charging is exciting, but can it work for an electrical vehicle? Yes, and it’s not too far off from becoming a reality. How Does Wireless Charging Work Wireless EV charging is exciting. The driver simply parks over top of the ground pad and energy flows to the battery. This means no more plugging the vehicle in to recharge it without losing any charging speed. To make this happen, the wireless charging system requires three components: the power supply, the vehicle-mounted receiver coil, and the charging ground pad. The power supply sends electricity to the ground pad and the ground pad creates a magnetic field. The coil then conducts energy through that magnetic field, charging the battery quickly and efficiently. Does It Require Parking Perfection? Wireless EV charging doesn’t require perfectly aligned coils and ground pads. The vehicle can be slightly off-center from the ground pad and still receive a full charge at full speed. Wireless charging retrofit kits come with displays that monitor the ground pad’s location and show the driver the range in which they need to stop, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Wireless EV Chargers Availability Wireless EV chargers are already available on the market in Asia, but this technology is due to be released in the US in the near future. For folks who already own an EV that isn’t equipped with a wireless coil, there will be retrofit kits available to facilitate wireless charging. The Cost of Wireless EV Chargers Wireless EV chargers are expected to cost about as much to purchase and install as a level 2 EV plug-in charging station. That’s roughly $900 for the system and another $1,500 or so to install it. The Future of Wireless EV Chargers When wireless EV chargers hit the market in the US, folks will have to purchase retrofit kits and have them installed. But they will soon be available as factory-installed options or add-ons that shoppers can bring home on day one of EV ownership. Also, folks in snowy environments are likely wondering about the charging pad and snow plows. Rather than letting plows rip these ground pads off and destroy them, in-ground charging pad technology made from concrete is in the works. These models would install flush with the surface of the driveway to prevent lips that a snow plow could hit and damage. Where to find it? Ross meets a team of engineers at WiTricity [https://witricity.com/] who are working on creating an infrastructure that will allow electric vehicles to charge wirelessly. Wireless chargers transfer electric power over a distance without wires–a concept called magnetic resonance. The wall box, charging pad and the receiver are the main components of a wireless EV charging system. The power sources and the receiver are specifically designed magnetic resonators that transfer power over a distance via the magnetic near field. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/streaming-app Future House: Ask This Old House home technology expert Ross Trethewey shows you the newest smart-home innovations. From automated home construction to energy monitors to robotic solar panels, and more, find out what’s happening now and what’s coming in applied home science. Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG Tumblr: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr Wireless EV Chargers | Future House | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/
