Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt owners, are you ready for wireless charging of your electric vehicles? If so, Bosch and Evatran are ready for you. The two have inked an agreement to bring the Plugless Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging System to consumers.
Evatran developed the wireless charging technology and Bosch will take care of installation. It won’t be a cheap offering when it becomes available next month, with starting prices around $3,000 (this does not include applicable taxes, shipping, or installation of the parking pad and control panel, but it does include basic installation of the vehicle adapter).
In exchange for the convenience of not needing to physically plug in every night, this hefty price tag might be worth it for some. Bosch said it is offering up some financing options to help those who don’t have that kind of money sitting around, including a $0-down, five-year, 2.99-percent-interest loan on charging stations for installations totaling $3,500 and above.
The installation process is a two-part affair. A Bosch-certified electrician will install the home infrastructure portion of the system, and Bosch Car Service centers will install the on-vehicle components. The company will coordinate the entire process and provide any necessary post-installation support.
Bosch will also offer guidance for those who are considering a purchase, as well as offering help to those wanting to find and file qualifying rebates from utility companies, government agencies, or vehicle manufacturers in order to help take some of the sting out of the high price tag.
Components of the Plugless Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging System include a vehicle adapter which goes on the undercarriage of the user’s EV; a control-panel-like, wall-mounted enclosure that provides alignment guidance and diagnostic information, in addition to traditional charging station functions; and a floor-mounted wireless charging transmitter.
As for charging times, the companies claim that these devices charge as fast as a conventional plug-in charger. This means users can expect to charge their Leaf or Volt in about half the time it would take to charge if plugged into a normal 120-volt outlet (the wireless charger requires 240 volts, and users need to drive over the system’s floor-mounted parking pad to begin the charging).
As for support of other electric vehicles besides offerings those from Nissan or Ford, Bosch told PlugInCars that they are “in development,” but it couldn’t offer specific availability dates as of yet.
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Editor's note: This article is reposted in its original form from EarthTechling. Author credit goes to Nino Marchetti.