The Porsche Cayenne Electric will be offered with a wireless charging pad, claimed to be the first manufacturer-supported inductive charging solution on the market.
Officially named Porsche Wireless Charger (PWC), it offers speeds up to 11kW and works in temperatures ranging from -40 to 50deg C. Porsche claims it's unaffected by debris such as leaves or snow. The pad operates at around 90% efficiency.
The pad is straightforward to initiate. When driving towards it, the car's digital display cuts to gridlines overlaid on a feed from a forward-facing camera, to help the driver line up with the pad, drive over it and park in just the right place.
The Cayenne’s air suspension then lowers the body a few centimetres, a magnetic field fires up beneath it and the invisible transfer of electrons into the battery begins.
You can’t embed the 60mm-tall, 50kg pad into the floor of a driveway or garage for total integration, as this would involve obscuring the sensors that help guide the car onto the pad. It is however completely self-sufficient, as no wallbox is required.
All UK-spec Cayenne EVs will be prepared with the necessary wiring and hoses to accept the 15kg, water-cooled charge receptor that is bolted behind the protective underbody cladding at the front of the car – but the unit itself will be an option, costing around £2000. The pad costs an additional £3000.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Oooh! there the rub, five grand for a great idea but most potential buyers will say er no can't afford than on top of the car price,I guess as the years go on it will get cheaper and more other car brands will adopt the technology.