BMW Wireless Charging for Oz

BMW Wireless Charging is coming Down Under.

That’s the word from BMW Australia, which has confirmed the German car-maker’s upcoming inductive charging system, which will be rolled out in Europe next year, will also become available here.

“We’re hoping to bring the technology to Australia soon,” said BMW Group Australia CEO Marc Werner at the recent launch of the new 530e sedan – his company’s seventh plug-in model.

Regarded by some as the holy grail for electrified vehicles because it negates the need to handle charging cables, the BMW Wireless Charging system can be retro-fitted to any plug-in BMW model.

Operating just like an inductive smartphone charger, the system involves a powered charging ‘base pad’ on the ground – inside or outside your garage – and a receiver unit fixed to the underside of the vehicle.

An alternating magnetic field is generated between the base unit’s integrated primary coil and the car’s secondary coil, through which an electrical current is transmitted without cables or contacts at a charge rate of up to 3.2kW.

Like other car-makers with similar systems, none of which are yet available in Australia, BMW claims the convenient system is safe enough that it won’t fry your cat.

Apart from its cost, which is yet to be announced, the only negative is slightly slower charging times, which in the case of the 9.2kWh high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack in the 530e is claimed to be around three and a half hours.

By way of comparison, the optional BMW i Wallbox, which has a charging capacity of 3.7kW, can fully charge the same battery in less than three hours.

Of course, these figures are based on a 15 amp power outlet. BMW says it takes up to five hours to fully charge the 530e using a standard domestic (10 amp) power point.