Wireless EV charging record set with Porsche Taycan prototype

• A Porsche Taycan wireless charged at a rate of 270 kw
• The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) partnered with Volkswagen Group for the test
• No timeline was given to place a system like this in production, but testing will proceed

In a recent test, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) wirelessly charged a Porsche Taycan at 270 kw, setting what researchers claim is a brand new record for wireless charging of light-duty vehicles.

Existing wireless-charging systems for light-duty vehicles charge at much lower power levels, ORNL noted in a press release. Commercially-available hardware generally reaches 11 kw with 92% efficiency, based on ORNL, and standards cover power levels of as much as 20 kw. A system deployed in 2020 with a fleet of Jaguar I-Pace taxis in Oslo, Norway, was in a position to achieve 50 kw in 6-8 minute bursts.

Nevertheless ORNL claims its system, which was tested in collaboration with Volkswagen Group of America as a part of a research project announced in 2021, can rival the ability of many conventional DC fast-charging stations, with 95% efficiency. It could also achieve a 50% increase in state of charge in 10 minutes, ORNL claims.

The system uses lightweight polyphase electromagnetic coils measuring just over 19 inches in diameter, which ORNL claims allows for the best power density possible. The receiver coil mounted on the underside of the Taycan is in truth 8 to 10 times more power dense than existing systems, lead researcher Omer Onar said in a press release. Charging was conducted with a 4.75-inch gap between the coils on the automobile and the bottom.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory tests 270-kw wireless EV charging system

This hardware could allow for higher-power wireless charging without bulky components that may be difficult to package in passenger cars, based on ORNL. The lab will proceed to work with VW Group of America to bring the system closer to production readiness, but no firm timeline was given.

Within the meantime, a handful of firms offer their very own wireless charging systems. Tesla appeared to have purchased certainly one of those firms, the German firm Wiferion, in 2023, hinting that the automaker was moving ahead with plans to supply wireless charging for its vehicles.