Wireless Self-Charging Vehicles Feeding the Grid and Providing New Business Opportunities for ECs

WiTricity is impacting both electric and autonomous vehicles. The below video and this article from MIT Technology Review point to a coming reality of self-charging robo-taxis.

Not only will these vehicles power up without human help, but they will feed energy to utilities during peak demand. But, there must be charging places – and wireless charging pads (as depicted in the video) or some sort of relay built into the roads over which the automobiles drive. This is basically the same tech used to wirelessly charge cell phones, but upscaled for cars. It is estimated that China, Europe, India and the U.S. will invest $55 billion to support the 140 million electric vehicles on the road by 2031. It’s easy to understand how the estimate adds up when you consider that there are only about 20,000 charging stations in the U.S. currently, compared to more than 125,000 gas stations nationwide.

Watch startup WiTricity’s video on wireless self-charging autos:

IKEA is designing autonomous vehicles to become extensions of home, office, and local Institutions like the library, barber shop, or medical clinic. Self-driving cars that have groceries stocked in the back seat are already rolling through California’s streets.

• Learn more about IKEA's future autonomous car designs »
• Read about an autonomous vehicle delivering groceries and snacks in CA »

Electrical contractors will soon find a great deal of available work in this new frontier of wireless charging and autonomous transportation. A friend of mine and long-time electrical contractor, Fred Sargent, foresees a scenario in which electrical contractors retrofit spaces in municipal parking garages with wireless chargers, using EC installed equipment and leasing the installation to the municipality resulting in a solid profit-making business plan.

Images from WiTricity