Wireless charging for Kia Soul EV

Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) and Mojo Mobility have completed a three-year project to develop a wireless fast-charging system on a test fleet of Kia Soul EVs. The project claims 85% efficiency when charging with up to 10kW.

It took HATCI and Mojo Mobility three years to develop an inductive charging system for Kia’s Soul EV. The system is capable of transferring more than 10 kW to the vehicle for fast charging and claims an 85% grid-to-vehicle efficiency, while it also allows for misalignment of the two coils.

The partners tested it on five Soul EVs in real-world applications and while successful, they did not announce any production plans yet.

Still they may build on their research. Says William Freels, HATCI President: “We set out to develop wireless charging that has real world applications and is easy to use for the consumer. Now, with this fleet of wireless Soul EVs, we can clearly see a future of unplugged electric vehicles.”

The project was run with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

kiamedia.com