Technological advancements and global regulatory policies are pushing the market towards rapid expansion, with WAWT projecting the shipments of EVs growing at a five-year CAGR of 35% to reach 54 million EVs by 2028. Charging EVs has been a crucial concern. The wired EV charging infrastructure market continues to evolve, albeit with some gaps, increasing opportunities for Wireless EV Charging (WEVC) to grow.

According to WAWT’s recently published Wireless Power Market Tracker, one of the critical market barriers to the wireless EV charging market is standardization. Ultimately, the widespread adoption of wireless EV charging technologies is contingent on the interoperability of the infrastructure built.

Standardization also accelerates product certification, fosters economies of scale, and ensures reliability and safety compliance, ultimately driving market scalability and fostering consumer and regulatory trust in this transformative technology. The process of establishing these standards is slow, requiring coordination across multiple stakeholders, including automakers, technology providers, regulatory bodies, and infrastructure developers.

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), a global association in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries, is the key standard for developing and releasing wireless charging specifications for electric vehicles (EVs). SAE made tremendous progress in developing the latest WPT specs and testing up to WPT3 (11kW input) to produce its updated standard (SAE J2952 & RP J847/6), which was published in October 2020.

SAE is referred to for uni-directional charging with a scope to include bi-directional & dynamic wireless charging applications. It has released specs for both vehicle and infrastructure side coils for three power levels – WPT 1 (<3.7kW); WPT 2 (<7.7kW); and WPT 3 (<11.1kW). Technical specs for higher power falling under WPT 4 (22 kW), WPT 5 (60 kW) and beyond are being developed. To advance further, In September 2024, SAE announced its specs related to alignment methodology and Differential Inductive Positioning System (DIPS).

The InductEV and ENRX Collaboration in Wireless EV Charging

Recognizing the critical role of standardization, InductEV and ENRX have entered into a strategic partnership to address these challenges through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The collaboration focuses on supporting the SAE J2954 and other related standards, aiming to align technical specifications and enhance interoperability across wireless charging systems.

WAWT highlights that circular topologies are expected to dominate. Since the SAE J2954 standard primarily adopts the circular coil design, favoured for its reduced magnetic emissions at high power levels, this partnership could garner more adoption of wireless charging infrastructure.

Scope of Collaboration

1. Technical Participation
   InductEV and ENRX are dedicating resources to actively contribute to working groups, technical committees, and standardization initiatives. Their efforts are geared toward refining parameters such as power transfer efficiency, electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation, and alignment methodologies. This technical involvement seeks to harmonize regional and global standards, bridging gaps between SAE, ISO, and other frameworks to create a universal foundation for wireless EV charging.
2. Compatibility Testing
   The partnership emphasizes rigorous interoperability testing to ensure their solutions can operate seamlessly with diverse platforms and vehicle configurations. By leveraging InductEV’s high-power systems (up to 450 kW) and ENRX’s expertise in electrified roadway technologies, the two companies aim to validate the compatibility of wireless charging systems across varying power levels and use cases, from stationary charging in depots to dynamic in-motion charging.
3. Industry Advocacy
   Beyond technical contributions, both companies are championing the benefits of standardization to industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies. This advocacy involves presenting unified technical roadmaps and demonstrating the economic and environmental advantages of standardized wireless charging systems.

Strengths and Shortcomings

The collaboration brings together complementary expertise – InductEV’s leadership in high-power charging solutions (>50 kW) and ENRX’s experience in large-scale infrastructure projects. This synergy positions them well to influence the standardization process and advance the adoption of interoperable solutions. However, the initiative also highlights the inherent complexities of aligning proprietary technologies with standardized protocols.

• Strengths:
  • Technical expertise in high-power systems and electrified roadways.
  • Active participation in global standardization initiatives enhances their influence.
  • Commitment to interoperability testing fosters market confidence.
• Challenges:
  • Achieving consensus across diverse stakeholders and regions remains a slow and resource-intensive process.
  • Proprietary technologies may need adaptation to meet universal standards, potentially delaying product rollout.
  • The fragmented nature of the current market could hinder the adoption of agreed-upon specifications.

Collaborations in Wireless EV Charging R&D

This recent announcement about the InductEV-ENRX MoU isn’t the only market driver or project in the wireless EV charging space. R&D efforts in any industry rely heavily on collaboration to fuel technological advancements.

When it comes to Wireless EV Charging, in 2024, partnerships like those between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Volkswagen, which resulted in the development of a 270-kW wireless EV charging system, demonstrate how joint efforts can lead to cutting-edge solutions. The system, which boasts over 95% efficiency, significantly improves charging speeds for high-end vehicles like the Porsche Taycan, positioning it as a model for future innovations.

Electreon, a pioneer in electrified EV charging roads has also been partnering for its R&D projects. Such collaborations allow companies to share resources, conduct extensive testing, and leverage expertise in areas like efficiency, scalability, and integration. But what is the direction of the technological advancements in wireless EV charging? Subject Matter Experts at WAWT help you with that.

Commercialization needs collaboration too

Collaborations also play a key role in the commercialization and scalability of wireless EV charging systems. This year, InductEV also announced its partnership with EO Charging to integrate its high-power wireless charging systems into EO’s suite of charging solutions for commercial fleets is a prime example.

This collaboration focuses on joint commercialization, aiming to provide fleet operators with seamless, efficient charging solutions that maximize operational efficiency. Through such partnerships, companies can pool their expertise in different aspects of the charging ecosystem, including vehicle integration, infrastructure deployment, and maintenance services. These collaborations are vital for scaling up technology deployment and ensuring that wireless EV charging becomes a viable solution for a broad range of commercial applications.

Players like InductEV, and ENRX dominate in wirelessly charging commercial fleets. Their success in this space is largely driven by the demand for faster, more efficient charging solutions that can keep fleets on the move with minimal interruption.

However, the success of these companies in the commercial sector has the potential to catalyze the growth of wireless charging technology for light-duty private electric vehicles (EVs) as well as high-duty EVs such as electric trucks, taxis, buses and even logistics vehicles. As the technology matures and becomes more cost-effective, it is expected that the infrastructure and technical innovations developed for commercial fleets will trickle down to private EVs.

The efficiencies gained in commercial use cases – such as reducing charging times, minimizing maintenance, and providing seamless integration with existing infrastructures – can be adapted for personal vehicles, making wireless charging more attractive for consumers.

Conclusion

The growth of wireless EV charging technologies is reliant on strategic collaborations that address key barriers like standardization, infrastructure development, and commercialization. Partnerships such as those between InductEV and ENRX, along with R&D efforts from organizations like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Volkswagen, are accelerating the adoption of high-power wireless solutions.

While challenges remain, particularly in aligning diverse stakeholders and technologies, these collaborations lay the groundwork for a seamless and scalable wireless charging ecosystem. The success of these initiatives in commercial sectors is expected to drive the eventual expansion of wireless charging to light-duty private EVs, ultimately enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of EV charging worldwide.

About Wired and Wireless Technologies (WAWT)

Wired and Wireless Technologies (WAWT), is a strategic technology analyst and consulting firm specialising in wireless power and power supply. Its comprehensive research data, insights, and market intelligence on the wireless power market titled ‘Wireless Power Intelligence Service’ covers various types of wireless power technology solutions using different frequency levels – be it in the form of inductive, resonance, NFC, RF, or infrared-based solutions. 

WAWT monitors the pace of adoption of such wireless power solutions across 30+ different types of applications across automotive (including EVs, e-bikes/e-scooters), consumer, computing, wearables, hearables, medical/healthcare, smart home, industrial, robotics, retail, infrastructure, and other sectors.

Reach out to our subject matter experts (SMEs) by emailing us at analyst@wawt.tech and following our LinkedIn page (WAWT) and other social platforms for the latest market estimates and forecasts, trends, insights, and updates on wireless power/charging and allied technologies.