Wireless charging for electric vehicles appeared to have limited market potential until quite recently. But major changes have occurred over the past 12 months as several major automakers are planning to bring wireless systems to market in the next several years.
Navigant Research now says, in Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles, that wireless charging is the future for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging. Within a decade it can be the leading way of charging EVs.
Navigant forecasts that wireless charging equipment for light duty vehicles will grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 108 percent from 2013 to 2022, reaching annual sales of slightly less than 302,000 units in 2022.
An aftermarket system offered by Evatran and Bosch, only available in North America, is the only commercial wireless charging system available for PEVs in early 2014 as automakers and their Tier One suppliers continue to be reticent on their plans for wireless EV charging.
Wireless charging systems are in the pilot phase and are expected to remain so for another few years. By 2015-2016, models with built-in wireless charging capability will be available from several major automakers.
EV manufacturers have announced partnerships to develop wireless charging systems and there are signs that such systems, installed at the factory or added at the dealership, could become a market differentiator for EV models.
The deployment of wireless EV charging systems is directly tied to the growth of those two markets: EVs and wireless power.
For now, much of the EV market is dependent on plug-in charging stations at the workplace.
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