Wireless charging has become widespread in the world of consumer electronics, but is still not as popular in the electric vehicle industry. Now, however, a new Hyundai patent application could change that and bring the concept of wireless charging on the road closer to reality.
There are already a few small stretches of road that use wireless charging technology, but these are more experiments that are also not that successful. For example, a section of a street in Detroit is equipped with a wireless charging system. Similar trials are underway in other countries, including France, Norway and Sweden, but at this stage they are only experimental.
Hyundai's new patent presents a more practical solution that will help make wireless charging on the road more efficient, as well as an ingenious way to solve the problem of uneven surfaces that are common on roads. Until now, any bumps or potholes disrupted the transmission of electricity from the road to the car.
Hyundai's solution is to use an under-the-car charger mounted on a height-adjustable inductive coupling to transfer the power. The device can be automatically raised and lowered for optimal positioning above the road surface.
And that's not all. Hyundai plans to introduce a system that uses forward-facing cameras to read information about the road surface and adjust the car's suspension accordingly. This will allow the vehicle to detect any surface imperfections and adjust the loader to maintain an optimal position even on rough roads.