Mercedes-Benz Experimenting with Inductive Charging on Electric A-Class

The electric car might take over the driving world some day, but it is still plagued with problems right now, not the least among them being range. A relatively minor problem with electric cars is how to charge them. Plugging them in at home does not seem like a huge obstacle, but what about in public? Do you want to see extension cords feeding into outlets outside like a particularly busy Starbucks? There is an answer to this problem: inductive charging. Inductive charging works by easy an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. Mercedes-Benz has adapted this technology for automotive use and developed an electric A-class that charges inductively. 

The project is all part of the Effiizienzhaus-Plus mit Elektromobilitaet, for the non-German speakers that means Efficiency House-plus with electromobility, which is a pilot program in Berlin, Germany, to develop a home that produces more electricity than it consumes. A family of four will live there for 15 months starting in March and record their experiences. 

"We are keen to find out how the inductive charging process proves in daily use. We have already demonstrated the essential feasibility of the technology. The experience in day-to-day use will now provide important pointers for the further course of development. A number of technical and financial issues also need to be resolved before we can really assess the marketability of this technology," says Herbert Kohler, head of e-drive & future mobility in the Research and Advance Development department at Daimler AG.

The Efficiency House opened on December 7 in Berlin, but the inductive charging A-Class E-Cell will not appear there until March. Mercedes-Benz will also supply the project with two other conventionally-charging vehicles. 

Inductive charging could offer a fantastic future for electric vehicles. It does have a few problems that will have to be sorted out though. Usually it takes longer to charge with inductive charging because less energy is being sent than through a cable. But it could lead to a future where people park their vehicle for shopping or work, and it charges itself.