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BMW Wireless Charging for the 5 Series Plug-in Hybrid Is Coming This Year

Most manufacturers of electric or electrified vehicles (these include hybrids, plug-in hybrids or those running on liquid hydrogen fuel cells) focus on increasing the range of their models and making their batteries more efficient, while also keeping an eye out for ridiculous acceleration times whenever possible.
BMW 530e wireless charging 6 photos
Photo: BMW
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BMW's plans, though, are a lot more secretive. The Bavarian company has announced it would offer electric versions of most the models in its lineup starting with the 3 Series sedan and the X3 SUV, while MINI has just revealed the fact its first ever all-electric model will enter production in November 2019.

Other than that, we're left in the mist. By comparison, everybody knows Mercedes-Benz is about to release the EQC crossover, Jaguar is itching to let the I-PACE off the leash, and Porsche's Mission E is also an imminent proposition. We also know a thing or two about what to expect from them, but the same can't be said about BMW.

A recent unconfirmed report claimed the Bavarians were the ones who captured a Tesla Model 3 in the U.S., brought it back to Europe and took it apart for a reverse engineering process. The engineers were allegedly impressed with what they found and said the technology was "years ahead of what BMW had." Well, it's not much in terms of positioning, but it's something.

With the i3 selling reasonably well in Europe, but not convincing enough, the options for buying an electrified BMW aren't all that rich. The Germans offer a handful of hybrids, starting with the wonderful i8 sports car and ending with the X5 sports activity vehicle.

Inbetween them sit the two sedans - the 3 and 5 Series. The plug-in hybrid version of the latter, the 530e, will be able to take advantage of the company's induction wireless charging system starting this year, meaning its battery will be replenished without the need of plugging any cables. We know what you're thinking, but it'll still be called a "plug-in hybrid" until a new nomenclature is devised.

The induction plate is placed on the floor of your garage or driveway, and the iDrive system helps you steer the car in the right position with help from an array of sensors. Once in place, the system can deliver up to 3.2 kW through an alternating magnetic field which charges the battery.

As we know, the system has its downsides. For one, its power output is very low. We're talking about a small capacity battery here, and it still needs well over three hours for a full charge. In the case of a fully-electric vehicle, the wireless charging stops being a convenience and is more of a liability. Besides, plugging and unplugging a cable isn't that much hassle, is it?

The system is going to come at a cost, which according to the Irish Times might be in the region of €3,000 ($3,700). On the plus side, considering other manufacturers use the same wireless charging principle, the plate might later be used for other brands' vehicles as well, not to mention several future BMW models.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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