Tag Archives: Charging

Porsche’s Next Big Move: Wireless Charging Hits the Cayenne EV

Wireless charging has already made our lives easier with smartphones and toothbrushes. Drop it in the cradle, walk away, and the magic happens. Now Porsche wants to bring that same “set it and forget it” convenience to electric cars—and it’s doing so with the next-generation Cayenne EV, set to debut at the end of 2025.

The German automaker claims it will be the first to bring an 11-kW inductive charging system into production. The setup uses a floor-mounted base plate—no wallbox, no cables, no fumbling with plugs in the rain. Park the Cayenne over the pad, hit the brake, and the juice flows. Porsche says efficiency tops out at 90 percent, roughly on par with today’s wired AC charging.

Everyday EV Life, Simplified

Porsche’s research shows that about 75 percent of charging happens at home, making the case for wireless charging even stronger. The pad itself is a tidy slab—about 117 by 78 centimeters and 6 centimeters tall, weighing in at roughly 50 kilos. It’s weatherproof, TÜV-tested, and even tough enough to drive over. Installation can be handled by Porsche’s own service network, ensuring that the system doesn’t just look premium, but feels it, too.

The vehicle side of the system is equally clever. A receiving plate, tucked neatly between the Cayenne’s front wheels, lowers toward the pad during charging. Ultra-wideband tech helps the SUV line itself up precisely, and the Cayenne’s surround-view system adds an augmented “hit the target” parking aid. Once the car is in place, the charging process is automatic, and safeguards stop the flow if a pet, child, or stray object finds its way into the charging zone.

Big Numbers Beyond the Pad

As convenient as the wireless setup sounds, Porsche isn’t abandoning outright charging speed. Like the Taycan and Macan before it, the Cayenne EV is aiming to set new benchmarks. DC fast charging will reportedly peak at a blistering 400 kW—numbers that would make even Tesla owners raise an eyebrow. Plugged into a Porsche Charging Lounge, that could mean topping up from nearly empty to road trip–ready in minutes.

Tech on Display

To drum up excitement, Porsche rolled out a prototype Cayenne at the IAA Mobility show in Munich wearing a dazzling electroluminescent paint job. The fluorescent wrap comes alive when current runs through it, glowing in shifting hues of blue and violet like something from a cyberpunk concept sketch. The finish reportedly required over 25 ultra-thin layers, 30 sanding cycles, and 500 meters of wiring. It’s not production-bound—at least not yet—but it reinforces Porsche’s point: this SUV is about tech, spectacle, and a future where charging is as seamless as dropping your phone on a nightstand.

The Bigger Picture

“Ease of use, suitability for everyday use, and charging infrastructure are still the decisive factors when it comes to the acceptance of electric mobility,” says Dr. Michael Steiner, Porsche’s R&D chief. He’s not wrong. For all the talk of kilowatts and charge curves, what matters most is whether living with an EV feels simpler than it does today.

With inductive charging baked into the Cayenne EV, Porsche is betting that eliminating the charging cable could be the next tipping point for mainstream EV adoption. Whether customers will pay extra for the convenience—or whether rival automakers will follow suit—remains to be seen. But if Porsche can pull it off, charging an electric car might soon feel as effortless as charging your phone.

Source: Porsche

Ford Dealers Just Became Your New Pit Stop for EVs

Remember when stopping at a Ford dealership meant stale coffee, a stack of Focus brochures, and a salesman insisting you really did want metallic beige? Well, times have changed. Now, over 800 Ford dealers across the U.S. and Canada are quietly transforming themselves into the modern equivalent of roadside diners—except instead of a slice of pie and a cup of joe, they’re serving up electrons at more than 3,000 DC fast chargers.

And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t matter what badge is bolted to the front of your EV. Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq, or even a Tesla feeling adventurous—it’s plug in, charge up, and get back on the road with less range anxiety and fewer arguments about who forgot to check the battery before leaving.

Ford’s new network is called Ford Charge, and today it gets its official ribbon-cutting moment. Think of it as a dealer-run pit lane for the EV generation. Roughly 1,200 of these chargers are under Ford’s direct management, ensuring things actually work when you roll up—because nothing kills the EV vibe like a dead charger.

Better still, every one of these chargers ties into the BlueOval Charge Network, which is now the largest integrated charging network in North America. Translation: if you’re driving a Ford EV, you’re never more than 18 miles from a fast charger on most U.S. highways. That’s closer than the next questionable gas station hot dog.

Oh, and for those who’ve dipped a toe into Tesla’s world of Superchargers—yes, Ford’s in on that too. Thanks to Plug & Charge tech, you can just roll up, plug in, and the system takes care of the rest. No fiddling with apps, no frantic card-swiping, no awkward phone calls to customer service while your kids in the back seat start mutinying.

So here we are: Ford dealerships—once the place you dreaded visiting—are suddenly becoming heroes of the great electric road trip. Who’d have thought?

Source: Ford

BYD is developing a 1,000 V platform that will enable ultra-fast charging

BYD is setting new standards for all manufacturers when it comes to electric vehicles. The Chinese company announced that it is developing a 1,000 V platform that will enable ultra-fast charging. This means that a 5-minute battery charge will provide a range of 300 km.

One of the major obstacles to the rapid production of electric cars is the small number of fast charging stations, but also the long waiting time for charging, which makes most drivers nervous on long trips. That is why BYD is working on a new platform for its high-end cars. It is a 1,000-volt architecture that should enable ultra-fast charging.

The recently introduced Atto 2 supports fast charging in Europe of just 65 kW, while the Dolphin supports charging of a maximum of 88 kW. The largest models that BYD sells in Europe, the Han and Tang, should be the first to use the new technology that will enable ultra-fast charging, which means that the battery could be fully charged in about 10 minutes.

That means nothing if there aren’t enough charging stations with powerful chargers, and that’s exactly what BYD plans to do. The Chinese manufacturer is also developing a network of ultra-fast charging stations in China, and it will not be a surprise if it soon does the same in Europe.

BYD does not want to stop there, so a new 1,500 V platform for their construction electric vehicles is also in the development process. These vehicles will use a battery with a capacity of 2,500 kWh in LFP format, which can support ultra-fast charging of up to 600 kW.

This once again shows that Chinese companies are far ahead of the rest of the world and are currently elusive for European manufacturers.

Source: BYD