Munich. BMW i launches yet another world first in the
form of a factory-fitted, fully integrated inductive charging facility
for the high-voltage battery in a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Production
will start in July. As part of the BMW Group’s NUMBER ONE NEXT
strategy, the company is therefore once again leading the way in the
development of groundbreaking charging technology that greatly
enhances the ease of use and everyday practicality of electrified
vehicles.
BMW Wireless Charging option can be ordered now as a
leasing-option for the BMW 530e iPerformance (fuel consumption in
legislative EU test-cycle combined: 2.3 – 1.9 l/100 km; electricity
consumption combined: 13.9 – 13.3 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined:
52 – 47 g/km)
The product offer starts with Germany,
subsequently followed by the UK, the US, Japan and China.
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Electromagnetic field is the key to contactless transmission
of electricity.
BMW Wireless Charging enables electric energy from the mains supply
to be transmitted to a vehicle’s high-voltage battery without any
cables – when the vehicle is positioned over a base pad. This can be
installed in the garage, for example, and the charging process started
as soon as the vehicle has been parked in position (without any
further input from the driver). The launch of this technology sees the
BMW Group move another step closer to an infrastructure that will make
charging the battery of an electrified vehicle even simpler than
refuelling a car with a conventional engine.
Available to customers as an option, BMW Wireless Charging consists
of a Inductive Charging Station (GroundPad), which can be installed
either in a garage or outdoors, and a secondary vehicle component
(CarPad) fixed to the underside of the vehicle. The contactless
transfer of energy between the GroundPad and CarPad is conducted over
a distance of around eight centimetres. The GroundPad generates a
magnetic field. In the CarPad an electric current is induced, which
then charges the high-voltage battery.
The system has a charging power of 3.2 kW, enabling the high-voltage
batteries on board the BMW 530e iPerformance to be fully charged in
around three-and-a-half hours. And with an efficiency rate of around
85 per cent, charging with the BMW Wireless Charging system is very
efficient, too.
Inductive charging: even easier than refuelling.
BMW Wireless Charging employs the same inductive charging technology
already widely used for supplying power to devices such as mobile
phones and electric toothbrushes to now also recharge the high-voltage
batteries in electrified vehicles. The principal benefit here is the
unrivalled ease of use, as drivers no longer need to hook up their
plug-in hybrid car using a cable in order to replenish its energy
reserves. Instead, as soon as the vehicle has been parked in the
correct position above the inductive Charging Station, followed by a
simple push of the Start/Stop button, the charging process is
initiated. Once the battery is fully charged, the system switches off automatically.
BMW Wireless Charging also helps the driver to manoeuvre into the
correct parking position. Via a WiFi connection a communication
between the charging station and vehicle is being established. An
overhead view of the car and its surroundings then appears in the
Control Display with coloured lines that help guide the driver while
parking. A graphic icon shows when the correct parking position for
inductive charging has been reached. This can deviate from the optimum
position by up to seven centimetres longitudinally and up to
14 centimetres laterally.
The GroundPad can also be installed outdoors, where it may be used
regardless of the weather conditions. All components that conduct
electricity are protected from rain and snow, and driving over the
GroundPad will not damage it in any way. During charging, ambient
electromagnetic radiation is limited to the vehicle undercarriage. The
GroundPad is permanently monitored and will be switched off if any
foreign matters are detected. The BMW Group also offers an
installation service for BMW Wireless Charging, on request.
The launch of BMW Wireless Charging is further proof of the BMW
Group’s ongoing commitment to creating a user-friendly and practical
charging infrastructure. Back in 2015, the company was presented with
the Momentum for Change Award from the United Nations in recognition
of its achievements. In its role as one of the co-founders of the
IONITY joint venture, the BMW Group is currently teaming up with other
carmakers to set up a Europe-wide fast-charging network with up to
350kW charging power for electric vehicles that should boast around
400 stations by 2020. In addition, the ChargeNow service, originally
launched by BMW I, now offers access to more than 130,000 aggregated
charging points in 32 countries. It is the largest global network of
its kind. .
About BMW i
BMW i is a BMW Group brand focusing on connected mobility
services, visionary vehicle concepts and a new understanding of
premium strongly defined by sustainability. BMW i is represented in 74
countries with the BMW i3 electric car for urban areas, BMW i8 plug-in
hybrid sports car and plug-in hybrid BMW iPerformance
Automobiles.
BMW i opens up new target groups for the company
and serves as an incubator for innovations. Technologies which have
debuted successfully in BMW i cars are carried over to parent brand
BMW’s other models.
BMW i is also associated with enterprises
including DriveNow (car sharing), ReachNow (car sharing 2.0),
ChargeNow (easy access to the world’s largest network of charging
points), ParkNow (straightforward location, reservation and payment of
parking spaces), venture capital company BMW i Ventures (investment in
start-up companies with a focus on urban mobility), BMW Energy (energy
services) and the Centre of Competence for Urban Mobility (consultancy
for cities).