Wireless charging for electric cars inches closer to reality

Wireless charging could be a big deal for electric vehicles, allowing drivers to top up their car’s batteries just by parking in the right spot, but right now the technology simply isn’t available. One of the leaders in the market is Qualcomm, which has fitted its Halo system of inductive chargers to Formula E course cars and other test vehicles, but has yet to push the technology into a broader market. To this end, Qualcomm announced a new deal today with Swiss electric car parts maker Brusa, allowing the firm to develop, manufacture, and supply its Halo charging plates to other companies. There’s no solid news on what’s next for Halo, but Brusa says it’s working with “several leading automakers” to introduce wireless charging to their cars “in the near future.” (Brusa had previously signed a deal with wireless power tech firm WiTricity as well.)