BMW is launching a wireless charging system – available from next month – which will allow the company’s 530e customers to top up their car’s battery without the need to plug it in.
The German giant promised that it would add a wireless charging option on its 5 Series iPerformance saloon last year, and to complement that, is also able to provide the necessary kit to allow the inductive charging to take place.
The GroundPad can be installed either in a garage or outdoors, and should the CarPad option be specified on the 530e, the car can be parked over it to charge. Charging power is at 3.2 kW, allowing the 530e to be topped up in around 3.5 hours.
As soon as the car is parked correctly over the pad, the charging process will begin once the BMW has been turned off. Drivers are assisted in parking correctly with an overhead view of the car displayed on the central screen, helping line the car up before a graphic appears when in the right place.
The charging pad allows for variance from the optimum position by up to seven centimetres longitudinally, and up to 14 centimetres laterally whilst still charging correctly.
Germany is the first market to be offered the system, followed by the UK, with production starting in July.
