Wireless Charging System developed on Kia Soul EV. Credit: PRNewsfoto / Kia Motors America.

Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center (HATCI) and Mojo Mobility have developed a fast-charging wireless power transfer system on a test fleet of Kia Soul Electric Vehicles (EVs).

The project, which involves US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as a partner, is expected to facilitate the development of EVs without plugs.

Both companies worked on this project for three years to develop the new compact wireless charging system that can transfer more than 10kW to the vehicle to enable fast charging.

The new charging system was installed on five Kia Soul EVs and tested under real-world conditions to assess their durability, safety and performance.

HATCI president William Freels said: “We set out to develop wireless charging that has real-world applications and is easy to use for the consumer.

“Now, with this fleet of wireless Soul EVs, we can clearly see a future of unplugged electric vehicles.”

“Now, with this fleet of wireless Soul EVs, we can clearly see a future of unplugged electric vehicles.”

The new charging system uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two coils, a transmitter placed on the ground and a receiver installed at the bottom of the vehicle.

Charging begins when the driver parks the car above the transmitter where the energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device and charges the vehicle’s battery.

Even when misaligned, the system can wirelessly charge cars with up to 85% efficiency.

At present, there is no plan to introduce the system commercially but the success of this project is expected to encourage the development of similar systems.