The Volkswagen Group of America’s Innovation Hub is working on a wireless charging option with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee. The work is happening in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
ORNL is currently working on a high-power EV charging concept with a Porsche Taycan. The partnership hopes to make a breakthrough in wireless charging design to eliminate interference during charging.
Early prospects are good as the prototype system has shown efficiency of up to 98%. This means that 98% of the energy created by the charger is going to the test vehicle.
With the help of VW, ORNL has ramped up power from 6.6 kW to 120 kW. However, the end goal is to have the charger reach a 300 kW power level.
With 300 kW, the Taycan could charge to 80% in just 10 minutes.
The three partners aim to “explore how to integrate breakthroughs in material science and recycling concepts to support electric mobility and sustainable transportation”.
Although this new partnership’s first project is wireless charging, the research expands into other advanced functional materials. Potential research includes looking at new composite body parts, plant-based materials for interior design and new recycling concepts for materials.
