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Toyota and WiTricity Team Up for Wireless EV Charging

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Wireless EV charging efforts start with ToyotaElectric vehicle technology has come a long way over the last few years, and the cars themselves have begun to gain some traction in the international auto market. The logical next phase of EV technology is wireless EV charging, providing for an easier and more appealing recharge for EVs. So far, the technology has been lacking in the auto market, but Toyota has forged an agreement with WiTricity, a Boston-based company dedicated to wireless power transfer, in an effort to move forward with this concept.

Via the agreement with WiTricity, Toyota plans to offer wireless EV charging on future plug-in hybrid and all-electric models. But how soon into the future will we see the technology be available? We can’t be sure just yet, as Toyota is going to have to use a third-party charging system supplier to develop the chargers within the framework of the WiTricity tech provided. We’re not quite sure how long that will take, but we have faith we could see wireless EV charging on the market (in Toyotas at least) in the next year or two.

“WiTricity’s mission is to make wireless charging available as widely as possible, and this announcement is a significant step toward accomplishing that mission,” said WiTricity CEO, Eric Giler, in the company’s official press release. “We envision a world in which wireless charging accelerates the adoption of clean, green electrified vehicles. To have Toyota, the world’s leading carmaker, licensing our intellectual property, underscores the importance of the technology.”

Keep checking back in with The News Wheel for more developments on the Toyota and WiTricity collaboration and to find out exactly when you’ll see the products hit the market.