BMW has released a video showing their latest innovation in simplifying the charging and usage of electric vehicles.
The charging pad displayed in the video below can wirelessly charge the 530e iPerformance without the need for the owner to remember to plug the vehicle in every time they need to.
By using an electromagnet, charge can be transferred from the pad to a coil receiver on the underside of the car, with the power then sent to the high-performance batteries at the rear of the vehicle.
With charging taking only slightly longer than through a conventional cable setup – roughly three and a half hours compared to two hours – this could be the way forward for charging electric vehicles in the very near future.
The concept was first displayed by BMW earlier this year when the latest edition of the 5 Series was released, but this is the first time it has been seen in action.
530e models will be sold with the charging pad sometime next year.
The 530e iPerformance is one of BMW’s most efficient vehicles currently on sale, with the model using a 2.0-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol engine combined with an electric motor, which combine to produce 249bhp.
With the hybrid system, real-world range is quoted to be 404 miles, with the electric range set at 31 miles. The top speed with the all-electric system is 87mph. The top speed is 146mph for the petrol engine and it can get from 0-60mph in six seconds flat.
Prices for the 530e start from £44,785.
