The electric car as we know it is still catching on in most parts of the world but some manufacturers are already developing the next-generation of technology that will go into these cars.
Daimler has teamed up with Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development to launch a pilot program that will test a wireless charging system. Engineers have already fine-tuned the technology and the next step is to see how it performs in an everyday situation.
To do that, Daimler has designed a Mercedes A-Class E-CELL with a special charging coil positioned under it. A similar charging coil is built into a garage floor and when both are lined up, the charging begins automatically. Electricity is transmitted between the two via an electromagnetic field. A display system in the garage helps the driver park the car in the right spot.
The A-Class E-CELL is part of a larger project called “Effizienzhaus-Plus mit Elektromobilität” (Efficient house with electric mobility) that will take place in Berlin. Daimler built what it calls an eco-friendly house and in March of 2012, a family of four will be handed the keys to it for fifteen months.
Aside from the A-Class, they will have access to a smart fortwo electric drive and a smart ebike, each for a period of three months. According to Daimler, the point of the project is to demonstrate that sustainable living and driving can both be done without making concessions in one’s quality of life.
