The era of the electric car appears to be just round the corner, and the boffins who work for carmakers, universities and governments are all trying to make running an electric vehicle as straight-forward as possible. One of the main issues faced by actual or would-be electric car drivers is that of re-charging. While ‘first generation’ electric cars have needed to be physically connected to an electricity supply, newer cars – such as the Citroen C1 – can be charged wirelessly.
The C1 does not require you to attach a bulky cable into a specially designed socket. In fact, the person behind the wheel does not even have to get out. By using a process of electromagnetic induction, a pad built into the ground of a given re-charging point charges the car via a special pad located on the underside of the vehicle. The system has the potential to be installed in all manner of locations – such as supermarkets, car parks, garage floors and specially designed charging stations.
Electromagnetic induction was a phenomenon discovered by Michael Faraday – a British physicist – in 1831. Finding that when two coils were placed closely beside each other and a charge applied to one of them, the resultant electromagnetic field induced a voltage across the other coil. The pads found in the car and the charge point both contain coils such as these.
While re-charging an electric vehicle couldn’t be easier, one of course has to keep an eye on power levels in order to avoid suffering a car breakdown.
Wireless charge points are likely to be a big hit with local authorities, who might find the old-style, physical charge points less palatable – mainly because they tend to add more clutter to the streets and can be subjected to vandalism or theft.
Breakdown Cover from 
