Mahle moves into wireless charging

“This addition to the Mahle portfolio provides us with a crucial element for the long-term acceptance and expansion of e-mobility. We believe this technology offers strong market potential. Our solution will enable fast, reliable, and highly efficient charging,” says Dr. Jörg Stratmann, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Mahle, in a press release. In recent years, Mahle has intensified its research in the field of wireless charging. “With the acquisition of licenses for WiTricity’s magnetic resonance technology, we’re now progressing to the concrete development stage. This will involve our expertise in control electronics, software, and thermal management. In the development of our solution, we’re placing particular emphasis on a modular, compact system that can be upgraded by the customer,” adds Dr. Otmar Scharrer, Head of Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering at Mahle. This means, for example, that the operation of Mahle’s system will be bi-directional. The parked vehicle will act as buffer storage and will be able to feed its energy back into the network; which could be seen as a great advantage when it comes to making the best use of electricity from renewables. Moreover, the magnetic resonance technology licensed by Mahle from WiTricity offers a further advantage. In contrast to the inductive charging method that is currently available – as found in devices like electric toothbrushes, which need to be positioned carefully on their base – this system is described as far more robust.