Hyundai is using Kia’s EV Soul to test new wireless EV charging technology

By Miles Branman Published July 8, 2015

When it comes to electric vehicle charging, Tesla and BMW certainly lead the industry, but now Hyundai-Kia is looking to develop a wireless EV charging system, much like BMW and Daimler proposed about a year ago.

Partnering up with Mojo Mobility Inc., Hyundai-Kia America’s Technical Center has received a grant from the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies program to design and develop such a system. Mojo Mobility has already done extensive research into the field, and its current systems can transfer high power with excellent efficiency.

Recommended Videos

Using the Kia Soul EV as a test subject, the two companies with engage in three phases of development. The first phase will include developing the wireless power-transfer system, which operates with 85 percent grid-to-vehicle efficiency. The system can also send more than 10kW to the vehicle during accelerated charging. As a practical addition, the charging will still work if the vehicle and the system are out of alignment. Considering how difficult parking appears for the average vehicle operator, that feature will come in handy.

The second phase is fairly simple: integrate the system into the Kia Soul EV. The initial results are very positive as full operation yields 92 percent efficiency. The final stage is basically just data aggregation from real-world performance testing. Mojo Mobility and Hyundai-Kia will be particularly interested in the system’s durability, interoperability, and safety.

No release date has been announced for a production version of the system, but as with any new technology, even promising results are often mixed with minor flaws that the average consumer won’t easily overlook. Even after the wireless charging technology is made available to the public, Hyundai-Kia will have its work cut out for it to build the infrastructure, much like Tesla’s supercharger network.

At this point, if Hyundai and Kia can get their technology to market before BMW and Daimler put the finishing touches on their system, it could be a big selling point for the Kia Soul EV and future electric vehicle models from the Korean automaker.

Former Contributor

Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…

Topics

Cars

Kia EV4: everything we know so far

Kia EV4 Front

Kia is continuing to expand its electric car lineup. The EV6 and EV9 have both been out for some time now, and the company is in the middle of rolling out the EV3 in Europe, with a North American release expected next year. After that, it's likely the company will turn to the EV5. But what about after that? Well, that could be where the Kia EV4 comes in.

Kia announced a concept version of the EV4 at its EV Day in 2023, showing off a futuristic-looking hatchback that's seemingly a little smaller than the EV6, but keeps many design elements. Since then, Kia has confirmed very few details about it, though we have seen it shown off at other automotive events. Here's everything we know about the Kia EV4 so far.
Kia EV4 design
The Kia EV4, or at least the concept version of it, is smaller than the EV6, and much smaller than the EV9. It's actually closer in size to a sedan than anything else, though with its open trunk, it could be considered a hatchback. Regardless, it certainly blurs the line between the two. So much so, that in recent months we've actually seen a full hatchback version of the EV4 being tested -- and it's possible that Kia is pivoting the design of the EV4 entirely to be a hatch, or will be releasing both hatchback and sedan versions.

Cars

Kia EV5: everything we know so far

Kia EV9 front exterior

Kia is expanding its EV lineup in a big way. The company is currently in the middle of rolling out the EV3, which is now available in Europe and is likely to come to the U.S. next year. Not only that, but it's also prepping the EV4, which it will likely announce more widely in 2025. And it's not stopping there either -- the Kia EV5 is a slightly scaled-back version of the much-loved EV9 SUV, and not only is it a vehicle we're excited about, but it's one that has already launched in Australia.

If the EV5 is anything like the EV9 -- only cheaper -- it'll be an instant success. Curious about whether the EV5 could be your next car? Here's everything we know about the EV5.
Design
Despite the lower number, the Kia EV5 is actually larger than the EV6 crossover — but not quite as large as the EV9 SUV. Kia calls it a “compact SUV” that offersa boxy design that’s similar to the EV9, but with only two rows of seats instead of three.

Cars

Hyundai teases Ioniq 9 electric SUV’s interior ahead of expected launch

hyundai ioniq 9 teaser launch 63892 image1hyundaimotorpresentsfirstlookationiq9embarkingonaneweraofspaciousevdesign

The Ioniq 9, the much anticipated three-row, electric SUV from Hyundai, will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week.

Selected by Newsweek as one of America’s most anticipated new vehicles of 2025, the Ioniq 9 recently had its name changed from the Ioniq 7, which would have numerically followed the popular Ioniq 6, to signal the SUV as Hyundai’s new flagship EV model.