BUS 625: Digital Transformation
with IT
Spring 2018
TCA
Wireless Charging
Within the Automobile Industry
Table of Contents
Business Problem …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Information Technology Opportunity ………………………………………………………………………… 5
Wireless Charging for Mobile Devices in your Vehicle …………………………………………………………5
Wireless Charging for your Electric or Hybrid Vehicle ……………………………………………………….7
Business Case Assessment ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Business Problem
Wireless charging, also known as cordless charging or inductive charging, has been
around for more than 100 years. It was discovered when Nikola Tesla demonstrated magnetic
resonant coupling, or the ability to transmit electricity through the air by creating a magnetic
field between two circuits. Today, wireless charging is applied in many different technologies,
from smartphones and laptops to home appliances like electric toothbrushes. These items use
wireless charging rather than charging with a cord because of the ease of getting power from a
smaller distance away. But, how exactly does this technology work?
There are three types of wireless charging: 1) charging pads that use coupled
electromagnetic inductive or non-radiative charging 2) charging bowls that use loosely-coupled
or radiative electromagnetic resonant charging that can transmit a charge a few centimeters away
or 3) uncoupled radio frequency wireless charging that can transmit a charge at many feet away.
The first two types use a time-varying magnetic field that induces a current in a closed loop of
wire. A copper coil is used to create an oscillating magnetic field, which can create a current in
one or more receiver antennas. What transmits power at greater distances, between a transmitter
and a receiver, is the addition of an appropriate capacitance so that the loops resonate at the same
frequency. The bigger the coil, or the more coils present, the greater the distance a charge can
travel wirelessly.
This practice of using larger coils is prevalent in items like robotics, wind turbines, and
automobiles. Car charging systems use large copper coils over 25 centimeters in diameter and
add capacitors to the conducting loop which boosts the amount of energy that can be captured. In
comparison, smartphone wireless charging pads use smaller copper coils which are only a few
inches in diameter, severely limiting the distance over which the power can travel efficiently.
Previously, the three main competing wireless charging standard groups were the
Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), the Power Matters Alliance (PMA), and the Wireless
Power Consortium (WPC). These groups focused on inductive and resonance charging
specifications. The WPC has the largest roster and is also the most popular wireless charging
standard that they call Qi. Qi enables pad-style and short-distance charging and is used by
companies such as Apple, Google, and Verizon. Apple plans to use this Qi technology in
charging not only smartphones but also TV remote controls, computer peripherals, or any device
that requires batteries. Other companies have adapted Qi to charge wind turbines, warehouse
robots, or other items with replaceable batteries.
In 2015, the other two groups (A4WP and PMA) banded together to form the AirFuel
Alliance (AirFuel) whose members include Dell, Duracell, Samsung, and Qualcomm. This
