Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Enroll now to test BMW’s wireless charging system for electric vehicles

Adam Kaslikowski
By

If you’re tired of plugging in your electric vehicle (EV) or hybrid like a commoner, BMW has a completely wireless solution for you — if you live in California and are accepted into the company’s pilot program, that is. Those caveats aside, wireless charging has long been promised and teased for the increasing numbers of electric cars, and this program is a welcome step toward making wireless charging a reality for all EV owners.

This is the program’s first expansion outside of Germany. Available on the BMW 530e plug-in hybrid, the system includes a wireless charging ground pad and a car pad affixed to the underside of the vehicle. The system then wirelessly charges the 530e over a gap of about 3 inches, with a charging power of 3.2KW. Specifically, the ground pad creates a magnetic field, which induces an electrical current inside the car pad. This would charge the onboard batteries fully in approximately 3.5 hours. The electrical efficiency of the wireless charging system is 85 percent, so your electrical bill will include electrons that you never got to enjoy. If you’re worried about frying your cat, the ground fixture is constantly monitoring for foreign matter and switches off if anything is detected.

Recommended Videos

The BMW pilot program is available to 200 qualifying applicants who live in California and start a new lease on a 530e plug-in hybrid. To qualify for the program, you must qualify for the 530e lease, as well as fill out two surveys to determine your and your home’s suitability for the program. The first questionnaire, available here, determines whether you own your home or need homeowners association (HOA) approval to do the installation required, and if there is a BMW dealer close enough to your address. Apparently, renters and HOA neighborhoods will not be favored by BMW.

The second survey (available here) helps determine if your home, garage, and electric grid are suitable for the charging pad installation. The company is asking participants to have an enclosed garage for the charging pad, even though they state that the charging pad can be installed outdoors. It is likely that the company is simply attempting to limit variables during this first U.S. test. Installation, maintenance, and removal of the wireless charging ground pad is free to participants and completely covered by BMW.

If you are approved for the program, you can take your confirmation number to one of 33 participating California BMW dealers and start a new 36-month lease on a 530e. We spoke to BMW on what happens after the three years, and they said, “The 530e and related hardware must be returned after the lease expires.” This is a real bummer, but given that this wireless charging system is already in use in Germany (as well as countless phones) it is likely to become a permanent fixture of BMW’s electric lineup.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Adam Kaslikowski
Adam Kaslikowski
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I don't have oil in my veins, but I do have it all over my carpets and clothes. Over my 10-year journalistic career, my…
2022 BMW i4 first drive review: The real deal
A 2022 BMW i4 M50 in a driveway.

We've heard a lot about BMW M's long-awaited electric sedan in recent years. We analyzed the hurdles that engineers had to clear to make the model a reality, notably weight, and we outlined the benefits that come with a performance-tuned electric powertrain, like instant torque. Years in the making, the end result is finally here. It's called i4, and it's a hugely significant car that electrifies the very essence of BMW.

Was it worth waiting for? I headed to its home turf to check it out.

Read more
2022 BMW iX first drive: Shifting paradigms
2022 BMW iX xDrive50i

When BMW paraded an orange, electric 1602 at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, no one dared imagine the project would lead to this: The iX. Pronounced "eye-ex," rather than "ix" or the Roman numeral nine, the iX is more than another electric SUV. It's a segment-bending family-hauler that breaks new ground for BMW while showcasing the technology that will spread across the range in the coming years.

Previous

Read more
BMW i4 brings the ultimate driving machine into EV territory
2022 bmw i4 electric sedan unveiled with 530 horsepower

BMW introduced the i4, its smartest and most futuristic sedan to date. Fully electric, connected, and powerful, it's a toned-down version of the Concept i4 developed to give buyers a battery-powered alternative to the 3 Series.

Like the design study, which was presented online in March 2020, the production model wears a giant grille that will fuel chatter for months on end. Some will love it, some will hate it; what's certain is that it won't go unnoticed. BMW is applying this styling cue across its range, and its market research reveals buyers like the more assertive look.

Read more