Production of electric vehicles is set to take off this year and the technology will make up a large portion of car sales within the next two decades. Along with sales of electric cars, the infrastructure needed for the industry will also be rolling out over the coming years.
Beyond even this electric car technology will continue to improve, quickly bringing new innovations to the industry. Market research firm Navigant Research today released a new report highlighting one of the earliest advances coming to the industry.
According to the firm, wireless charging systems for electric vehicles will hit the market sooner than many may realize. Already this year Navigant predicts that “a few hundred” of such systems will be sold to consumers. As car manufacturers begin making the capability standard on their electric vehicles wireless charging will take off. The report forecasts that over 300,000 of them will be sold worldwide in the year 2022.
The convenience of wireless charging systems is obvious and the technology will first appear in luxury-brand cars. Already standards for electric vehicle are being ironed out, paving the way for companies to compete on features instead of standards. Also, at least one wireless electric vehicle charging product is scheduled to make its debut early this year.
“Although some in the industry remain unconvinced that wireless charging will ever be more than a small niche market, it’s clear that major automakers have concluded that this technology could be a differentiator in a crowded EV market,” said Richard Martin, editorial director at Navigant. “Features once considered luxury items, such as power windows and automatic garage door openers, tend to spread, over time, across all vehicle segments – and that is likely to apply to wireless charging, as well.”
Image courtesy Nissan
