General Motors has announced that it is investing $5 million in wireless charging as sales of its range-extended Chevrolet Volt car begin in the US.
The US car giant has signed a commercial agreement with inductive charging firm, Powermat and provide funds for the company to develop its wireless charging applications so that personal devices can be charged within vehicles without the need for cable. The investment may even lead to its wireless charging for the car maker’s future electric models too.
Powermat currently produces wireless charging systems for smart phones, MP3 players and gaming devices, but the technology is being investigated to scale it up for cable-free charging of electric vehicles as well.
The new agreement aims to see wireless charging available in GM Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products models by mid-2012. The investment comes as GM’s first ‘range-extended’ petrol and electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, celebrates its first month of sales in the US. So far, 326 Volts have been delivered to the first eager customers.
“Imagine a mat or shelf where you could put your iPhone, your Droid or other personal device and charge it automatically while you commute to work, run errands or as you’re driving on a family vacation,” said Micky Bly, GM’s lead electronics executive, including infotainment, hybrids and battery electric vehicles.
“The Chevy Volt will be one of the first applications, but we intend to expand it across our vehicle portfolio,” Bly said.
Powermat, a private firm, was founded in 2007 and offers wireless charging products for the home in a number of retail stores, including Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.
