GM Invests $5 Million Into Wireless Charger - For The Volt?

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: January 6th, 2011

gm invests 5 million into wireless charger for the volt

GM has invested $5 million in the Powermat wireless charging start-up, and they want to use the technology “to charge its soon-to-be-launched Chevy Volt hybrid electric car,” Businessgreen reports. They report from the UK, so they shall be forgiven the “soon-to-be-launched” this one time only. But to charge a Chevy Volt?

Launched 2007, Powermat‘s charging mats are used to charge small electronic devices like mobile phones and mp3 players contact-less. You put them on a mat, and magnetic induction does the rest. Just like charging many new electric toothbrushes. The basic technology is as old as the transformer.

According to Businessgreen, “GM’s investment will support the adaptation of the technology for use by the auto industry and could eventually lead to electric cars being charged simply by being parked in a fitted garage.” Oh yes?

As part of a multi-year deal, GM will have exclusive use of the Powermat technology for one year to place the systems in its vehicles worldwide, GM Ventures President Jon Lauckner told Reuters.

Well, before any cars are charged in a Powermat-equipped garage, the Volt may use the technology to simply charge personal devices in the car. But not after testing made sure that technology doesn’t mess with the car. A Volt fitted with wireless charging devices will be show at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But that’s the easy part.

I know what you are thinking now: Roads with black … don’t even think it. Charging an amp-hungry car with the technology comes with its own set of, well, challenges. If you wear a pacemaker, or are worried about cell phones frying your brain cells, you may want to stay away from a garage outfitted with a giant Powermat that gives your car its daily MRI.

#BertelSchmitt #Charger #GM #Green #Hybrid #Powermat #Volt

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 27 comments

Contrarian on Jan 06, 2011

They'll get mroe efficiency if they centre-tap that secondary coil and go for full-wave rectification.

Like Reply
Daanii2 on Jan 06, 2011

If you look more closely at this, GM plans to put charging mats for cell phones and music players in the front dashboard and somewhere in the back seat area. In other words, put the existing Powermat technology in a car for charging small electronic devices. I think it would be handy. Throw your cell phone in a cubbyhole on the dashboard. It charges at the same time as you use it with your Bluetooth no-hands system. Sounds smart. The concept of charging an entire car, like the Volt, is pie in the sky. The comment came not from GM, but from Powermat. Don't blame GM for that.

Like Reply
- Campisi on Jan 07, 2011
  The comment came not from GM, but from Powermat. Don’t blame GM for that. This. TTAC is the only site I've seen claiming that GM wants to do anything other than install a Powermat charger inside the car for charging gadgets. Criticizing a company for possibly doing something that they never even said they'd do based on the lead from a poorly-written stub article totally lacking in journalistic credibility is a bit shaky.
  
  Like

Recent Comments

Jeff JMII--If I did not get my Maverick my next choice was a Santa Cruz. They are different but then they are both compact pickups the only real compact pickups on the market. I am glad to hear that the Santa Cruz will have knobs and buttons on it for 2025 it would be good if they offered a hybrid as well. When I looked at both trucks it was less about brand loyalty and more about price, size, and features. I have owned 2 gm made trucks in the past and liked both but gm does not make a true compact truck and neither does Ram, Toyota, or Nissan. The Maverick was the only Ford product that I wanted. If I wanted a larger truck I would have kept either my 99 S-10 extended cab with a 2.2 I-4 5 speed or my 08 Isuzu I-370 4 x 4 with the 3.7 I-5, tow package, heated leather seats, and other niceties and it road like a luxury vehicle. I believe the demand is there for other manufacturers to make compact pickups. The proposed hybrid Toyota Stout would be a great truck. Subaru has experience making small trucks and they could make a very competitive compact truck and Subaru has a great all wheel drive system. Chevy has a great compact pickup offered in South America called the Montana which gm could make in North America and offered in the US and Canada. Ram has a great little compact truck offered in South America as well. Compact trucks are a great vehicle for those who want an open bed for hauling but what a smaller more affordable efficient practical vehicle.
Groza George I don’t care about GM’s anything. They have not had anything of interest or of reasonable quality in a generation and now solely stay on business to provide UAW retirement while they slowly move production to Mexico.
Arthur Dailey We have a lease coming due in October and no intention of buying the vehicle when the lease is up.Trying to decide on a replacement vehicle our preferences are the Maverick, Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5 or CX-30.Unfortunately both the Maverick and Subaru are thin on the ground. Would prefer a Maverick with the hybrid, but the wife has 2 'must haves' those being heated seats and blind spot monitoring. That requires a factory order on the Maverick bringing Canadian price in the mid $40k range, and a delivery time of TBD. For the Subaru it looks like we would have to go up 2 trim levels to get those and that also puts it into the mid $40k range.Therefore are contemplating take another 2 or 3 year lease. Hoping that vehicle supply and prices stabilize and purchasing a hybrid or electric when that lease expires. By then we will both be retired, so that vehicle could be a 'forever car'. And an increased 'carbon tax' just kicked in this week in most of Canada. Prices are currently $1.72 per litre. Which according to my rough calculations is approximately $5.00 per gallon in US currency.Any recommendations would be welcomed.
Eric Wait! They're moving? Mexico??!!
GrumpyOldMan All modern road vehicles have tachometers in RPM X 1000. I've often wondered if that is a nanny-state regulation to prevent drivers from confusing it with the speedometer. If so, the Ford retro gauges would appear to be illegal.