Mitsubishi i-MiEV to Use Wireless Charging System

34 Responses to “Mitsubishi i-MiEV to Use Wireless Charging System”

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   Rashiid Amul Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 12:40 pm

   There truly is no accounting for taste, but I like they way it looks. I love the all-wheel drive aspect and the fact it is coming out in 2009. But 17 hours to charge?? Why bother with this car? I don’t see it as practical with that amount of charge time. If it is strictly an EV, then I would think most people will need a second car because this only has a 100 mile range. The Volt is still number 1 in my eyes.  
   
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   Rashiid Amul Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 12:54 pm

   “the car will come equipped with a wireless microwave charger that will fill the batteries”

   Once again showing my ignorance, this actually exists? I don’t think I would feel too good about walking in front of it.  
   
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   noel park Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm

   Keep it simple, stupid. Plugs are good.

   Is it because of the “microwave” gadget that it takes so long to charge? If so, I would prefer a plug and faster charging. With apologies to previous comments, I could just hang it down from the garage rafters so I run into it when I park and don’t forget.

   Also, my wife is past her days of 2 door cars. The Volt is a lot more practical proposition in the real world.  
   
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   Ryan Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

   Yes, wireless recharging is possible, but you lose a lot of energy. Also, you have to worry about your output power because (a) you don’t want fry your customers and (b) violate FCC regulations (and if this wireless charger operates in military comms or radar bands and outputs too much power, a few nice men in uniform could come looking for you…).

   I don’t know what the Japanese have against plugs, but the i-MiEv would probably charge a whole lot faster with one, not mention it would be a lot safer.  
   
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   OptimisticMF Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

   Rashiid, the article fails to mention that you can prepare popcorn in the glovebox…  
   
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   Brian Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:22 pm

   Microwave charging would totally kill any efficiency gains you get by driving an EV… it would probably end up using more energy per mile than a Hummer!  
   
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   Special K! Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:26 pm

   I’m sure the wireless charger option is just that, an option, possibly to mitigate forgetfulness. Say you forget to plug in when you come home, oh well, you wake up with 50% battery life, enough to get you to work as long as you plug in when you get there. The wireless charger may be a simple test bed for a very sophisticated far-future concept (say a super future plan to make highways charge cars as they drive on them!)  
   
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   Brian M Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:26 pm

   Here’s something I saw at AutoBlogGreen:

   UPDATE: Domenick makes another good catch, found at the Car Connection, which gives slightly different numbers: “A microwave wireless recharging system is used. The transmitter is housed on the garage floor, and a receiver is mounted under the lithium ion batteries. Recharging takes 17 hours at 100 volts input. Using 200 volts cuts the time in half, and an 80-percent charge can be obtained in 35 minutes with a 200-volt quick charger.”  
   
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   Mark Says:
   October 26th, 2007 at 1:38 pm

   17 hours to charge? Looks like they are trying to purposefully kill plug-in cars before they have a chance…  
   
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    Tom M. Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 1:48 pm

    I think some people got caught with their pants down and we are going to see all kinds of cobbed together EV’s. That’s why it is so important for Volt to do this project right the first time !! GO VOLT !!  
    
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    Dave G Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 1:58 pm

    This seems to require a custom installation. If you’re willing to do that, I’m sure they could come up with some way to make an automatic metallic connection under the car. You could use low power wireless communications to move covers, align contacts, and monitor the physical electrical connection.

    With wireless power transmission, you throw a lot of energy away – VERY inefficient.  
    
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    Jim I Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

    Do they really think it is so inconvenient to plug in the car when you come home from work and unplug it before you leave the garage? I can’t imagine all the fuss that is being made over this.

    Now an automatic connection system would really be cool, and a real conversation piece, but hardly a requirement.

    And I agree that the microwave method would really lose a lot of energy in the process.

    And the Mitsubishi is just plain ugly, in my humble opinion…..  
    
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    Dwayne Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

    I would gladly pay for some type of robotic device that plugs in my Volt whenever I park it in my garage. It’s not so much that I can’t remember, as it is that I don’t want to be bothered. What a time saver the Volt could be! I never have to spend time at a gas station and my power meter is always toped off…..  
    
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    Tim Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 3:29 pm

    K.I.S.S.

    Use a plug!  
    
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    Tim Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 3:31 pm

    #8 The 35 minute quick charge kind of reminds me of an old story about a poodle in a microwave…  
    
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    Matt986 Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 3:33 pm

    I hope they’re actually talking about induction, not microwave.

    I’d rather plug the sucker in. Much better efficiency.

    A small, two seat car like that could be great as a commuter vehicle. 100 mile range would work great for almost all commuters (commuters as in drives to the office, drives home. NOT as in drives all over creation to different sites)

    However… it would have to be inexpensive enough to have as a second car. $15k would be a great price, and would make it feasible to use as a second vehicle.  
    
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    kent beuchert Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 4:35 pm

    And just to prove that the demise of superior EVs like the RAV4 electric, the Honda EV and the GM EV-1 (nominated for the worst car ever built hall of shame by Time)
    was not a fluke, Nissan will peddle a 2100 pound electrified telephone booth with the come-on gizmo of microwave recharging. I wonder how many weeks that battery pack will last with quick charging? I see that
    Nissan’s not wasting a lot of man hours in the design department on this piece of nothing. Does this make 14 or 15 soon-to-be-forgotten EVs? By my count, there now exist more different models of EVs than actual EVs.  
    
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    Wraith Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 5:29 pm

    CNet News.com has some other info:
    ——
    The I Miev Sport concept car from Mitsubishi is an electric car that can plug into a 200-volt electrical outlet. Its batteries can recharge up to 80 percent in 35 minutes and 8.5 hours for a full charge.

    It also has a roof that incorporates solar cells to feed more electricity to the batteries on sunny days. On a full charge the car can go for about 124 miles.

    Credit: CNET Networks
    ——
    While less practical than the Volt, due to a limited range, it sounds like a good commuter / ‘around town’ car. Solar cells may not provide a lot of charge, but hey, you take what free energy you can get.  
    
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    OhmExcited Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 5:57 pm

    Wireless charging on that level is a Flash Gordon proposal that will not happen anytime soon in the real world. It’s good at getting attention though.

    On an interesting note, according to GM the Volt interior will support cordless charging of small electrical gadgets like phones, assuming those gadgets are supported by major vendors in 2010.  
    
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    Szyszek Says:
    October 26th, 2007 at 11:28 pm

    Contrary to most posters here I think it is a great idea providing that there is a minimal amount of energy loss in the process. I doubt it would be microwave, induction would be the way to go. I can just see myself not plugging the Volt in because I am thinking I am going out again and then regretting it the next morning because I stayed home after all and forgot to plug it in. The induction charger would automatically charge my car every time I park above it. It is safe as it would only start when the car is above it. I would gladly buy it as an option for my Volt.
    I hope that some day induction chargers will be built in into parking spaces at shopping malls and at red lights. Energy would be offered for a small charge (no pun intended) every time you stop somewhere. Some places could offer it for free (employers as a perk, malls to entice people to shop longer) or as a reward for listening to a commercial – imagine stopping at a red light and your car plays a short commercial (”…this charge is sponsored by MasterCard. Don’t forget to charge!”) while charging for free. Optional of course.  
    
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    Mark Bartosik Says:
    October 27th, 2007 at 2:24 am

    Interesting, the microwave charging.

    Do the Japanese have the equivalent of April fools day?

    While I know it is theoretically possible, I am suspicious of it being a spoof.

    Or maybe its a radical claim to look like they didn’t have their pants down.

    The heating effects of microwaves were discovered by the British I think not long after World War II, when they were noticing piles of cooked birds below the radars.

    Let’s take some round figures: 10KWh for a full charge. At 240v in 35mins means about 71A (for 100% efficiency). Round up a little for losses. In KW let’s say 18 to 20KW. Now that is some serious microwave oven!

    I think that FCC will be bothered by this. Do you need an FCC license as well as a DMV license to drive this car?

    I think that utilities will be bothered by this. This could mean that houses will draw peek loads over 100A. While your supply may be rated for this, it will likely cause a voltage drop and problems where there is local high grid impedance.

    Have you ever looked at your microwave oven, it is typically about 1.5KW, and is by law required to have seals and mesh grids to block microwaves from getting out. This means it has to be completely encased in metal or a Faraday cage (the wire mesh in the screen). So how would they ensure no microwave leakage without contact — maybe stealth technology?

    Also people are bothered about cell phones that transmit microwaves at a power output of much less than 1W. So what do you think people will think about having something 100,000 times more powerful humming away in the garage. Especially when they find cooked rats on the garage floor!

    Think of the liability if it falsely activates! Basically you’ve got a “death ray” in the garage!

    I would certainly like to see some engineering details of the wireless charger. I had a hard time following microwave wave guide theory at college so I’m no expert. I’m not closed minded about this, but skeptical – yes!

    Currently I prefer an old fashioned copper wire for efficiency.  
    
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    Van Says:
    October 27th, 2007 at 6:59 am

    I thought the most exciting part of the story was the EV in 2009 with a lithium battery and a 100 mile range.

    Just as people prefer push button windows to roll-downs, I expect some sort of docking port to facilitate recharge without having to get out of the car and connect a cord will be an option.

    I expect some sort of a “V” shaped tire guide will be kelty-bolted to our garage floors, to position the car so that an automated connector will “plug in” is more likely than microwave energy transfer.

    The key unknown in the story is the battery chemistry, does it have thermal management issues?  
    
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    Matt986 Says:
    October 27th, 2007 at 11:09 pm

    I think maybe something like a partnership with iRobot (that makes the Roomba)… have a small unit that you park over in the garage. A small panel on the bottom of the car (to keep the crud out) automatically opens, and the floor unit ‘finds’ it and plugs into it. Then when you get into the car and ’start’ it, the floor unit retracts, and the hatch closes.

    It could be done. Induction would be a little easier, but I’d be concerned about efficiency. We’d all want our vehicles to charge as quickly as possible to minimize ‘out of range spur of the moment’ type trips.  
    
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    domenick Says:
    November 1st, 2007 at 5:23 am

    Little late to this party but…First of all, the car pictured above is a concept and NOT the one going on sale in 2009. (Before the Volt) The iMiev going on sale does NOT have a wireless charging. You get to plug it in.

    Any questions?  
    
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    derek Says:
    November 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm

    domenick, even if you plug it in it’s like getting the life sucked out of you. The electricity bill will shoot up like a rocket. The people who buy this car will have an electric shock. The power company will also rise the charge. So, it’s a total loss. Solar Power, Wind, Hydroelectricity does not do much good. The solar panel are so freaking expensive. Wind doesn’t always exist. The Sun does not shine all day like somewhere in the equator. There are also no dams near you to get hydroelectricity. The car’s good, but the alternate idea for the method of fueling the car sucks.  
    
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    domenick Says:
    November 1st, 2007 at 2:17 pm

    derek, some green energy sources are intermittent. (Geothermal is always on.) There are and have been mechanical and chemical energy storage devices and systems to address that. Solar is much cheaper than just a few years ago and thin film and other solar thermal technologies are about to reduce that more dramatically. Even with the prices and capacity the exists today, it is far cheaper and greener than gasoline and diesel.
    What sucks is being ripped off by oil countries and companies. Starting wars, making ourselves sick with pollution, etc.  
    
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    derek Says:
    November 5th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    i agree with you dominick. But still…..  
    
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    GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Concept Site » Mitsubishi Chairman Yorihiko Kojima Drives an i-MiEV to Work Everyday Says:
    November 6th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
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    Wiz Says:
    January 5th, 2008 at 12:37 am

    you are idiots if you believe everything on a GM site about a competitor’s vehicle.Cross reference the article before you make ignorant comments.

    http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1352
    “The car can be recharged using normal household current at 100 volts (taking approximately 14 hours to recharge), 200 volts (7 hr recharge time) and 3-phase 200 volt. In the latter case, it would take only 30 minutes to recharge the vehicle to 80 percent SOC (state-of-charge) using a Quick-charge system. ”

    NOTICE no where does it say it’ll take 17 hours. It’ll recharge in 7 or 30min for 80%.
    You only get 100 miles because it meets only a certain niche. It’s not a car to replace all cars.

    Don’t categorize Mitsubishi as all of Japan when it isn’t even in the top 3 in Japan. And you wonder why we Americans get a bad rep being stupid? LOL.

    The Chevy Volt doesn’t represent every american automaker and auto-owner.

    All I have to say about the Volt is that it is a great IDEA. I won’t believe GM until I see it people’s driveways. If it does, then I’ll probably buy one but until then they have ZERO credibility after the crushing of EV1s.  
    
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    domenick Says:
    January 5th, 2008 at 6:42 am

    Before you start calling other people idiots and leaving ignorant comments, perhaps you should check YOUR “facts”. This blog post is about the i-MiEV Sport concept car as pictured above. Your “facts” come from an article in EV World about the i-MiEV. Two different creatures. It’s true the blog writer didn’t properly delineate which model he was speaking of in the titular text but the article is about a WIRELESS charging system which is only a feature of the i-MiEV Sport concept car.
    ばか  
    
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    Wiz Says:
    January 8th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

    Domenick you’re stupid if you believe 100 percent of a competitor’s website. I don’t see anything that offers a counter-argument except that you are just calling me names. You’re blabbering is the difference between a two-door civic and four door civic. The inside of both MiEVs are still the same. Wireless recharge is an added feature.

    Answer these questions to prove that I’m soooooo stupid. Tell me one thing, if there are recharging EV technology that can do a 80% recharge in minutes and 100% in 3.5hrs why do you have a wireless recharge of 17hours as a PRIMARY way of recharging?

    YOU WANT FACTS HERE YOU GO! Don’t worry it isn’t from EVworld and it’s the exact MODEL that you want bud although the recharge time is basically the SAME between an i-miev and sports concept miev.

    “Range is estimated at 123 miles for the 2138-pound 2+2. The inverter and charger are under the trunk. A microwave wireless recharging system is used. The transmitter is housed on the garage floor, and a receiver is mounted under the lithium ion batteries. Recharging takes 17 hours at 100 volts input. Using 200 volts cuts the time in HALF, and an 80-percent charge can be obtained in 35 minutes with a 200-volt QUICK CHARGER.”

    http://www.thecarconnection.com/Car_Shows_and_Concept_Cars/Concept_Cars/2007_Mitsubishi_iMiEV_Sport_Concept.S283.A13550.html

    You guys are idiots if you believe that the 17 hours of any recharge time is viable as the PRIMARY source. You’d have to go to work every other day LOL!!! Hilarious!

    It just says it CAN DO wireless. It’s a new feature for furthering recharge options for the future. Essentially, if you are at work or a remote location where you can’t get direct electric power you can do it via wireless but they only have a transmitter for your garage at this point.

    People read without understanding the background or in between the lines. It never says,”that was THE ONLY WAY to recharge”. Why is it that the GM site conveniently left other facts out Domenick????? It recharges 80% in 35 minutes yet all you hear commenting here is that it takes too long to recharge. So yeah you are idiots if you believe 17 hours is the true recharge time, a lone fact mentioned by a competitor’s website. Learn to research and understand facts Domenick. LOL. P.S. You make me laugh.  
    
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    domenick Says:
    January 8th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Wow, you don’t get it, do you. I’ll try to break it down in small pieces so you can understand.
    The i-MiEV and i-MiEV Sport concept are two completely different cars. I know they have similar names but the differences are much greater than the number of doors.
    Here is a picture and lots of info on the 2nd generation i-MiEV. (It looks like the first gen but has lots of internal improvements)
    http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20071026/141413/
    Ok, now here is the i-MiEV Sport….
    http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/10/mitsubishi-unve.html
    Different frame, higher capacity battery, different motors, etc etc. Completely different car. Or maybe an interior comparison will help.
    i-MiEV http://www.gtchannel.com/files/rsz/crop_600×500/files/i_miev_interior.jpg
    i-MiEV Sport
    http://image.automotive.com/f/auto-shows/mitsubishi-drives-out-lineup-for-tokyo-motor-show/7079218+w640+cr1+re0+ar1/mitsubishi-i-miev-sport-interiorjpg.jpg
    Notice a difference?
    The concept version also has a longer range and a longer recharge time. I am aware of the Car Connection article (I mentioned it in the comments section of the GreenCarCongress article on Oct 27) and that it can do an 80% charge quickly (as can most li-ion powered ev’s).  
    
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    Wiz Says:
    January 12th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    Thank you for your technical update. I stand corrected on those technicalities and between the two concept iMiEV. But, it’s just that, tecnicalities.

    My main point is that people, such as people on this comment blog have suggested, believe that EV technology is still in the stone ages. Or we’re all too passionate about our cars that happen to run on gas and we can’t let go of them. We definitely have some kind of emotional problem when there’s a better, more advanced vehicle (EVs) and we refuse to accept it.

    It doesn’t matter if I’m talking about the GM EV1 or Ford Ranger EV or Tesla EV, or MiEV, or Tango EV or Rav4 EV. They all have similar recharge times with a given plus or minus.

    The technicalities that you pointed out are obvious if not common sense. A concept or not, SPORT, means that it has better performance,it’s accessorized and stylized; otherwise you wouldn’t be calling it “sports” concept.

    I-Miev: 16kW, 160km or 100 miles
    Miev Sport: 20kW, 200km or 124 miles

    The recharge time is purely logistical. If it only seats two people then it’s a lighter car because it has to house less people and with slightly added performance, you get a longer range. If you get a longer range then it takes a longer time to recharge because you have more to recharge.

    At this point, all these technicalities are negligible. Nobody argues whether a Ferrari Enzo or Ferrari 612 is fast or not fast. You’re technicalities are the equivalent to arguing that the Enzo has a 0.52sec faster acceleration than a 612 Scaglietti. The public at large has yet to accept that EVs are faster, outperforms, has lower maintenance than a gas car.

    In the grand scheme of things, EVs are marketable and is a reality in our future.
    There’s no argument that EVs can recharge in the time frame that we gas up our cars.(Just misinformation is widespread).

    When there are recharge ports at every gas station or electric stations in abundance like gas stations then we won’t have that “range limitation”. Not only that, you can recharge them at home for the cheapest rate.

    Since we’re in a transitional stage, some people haven’t gotten their grips and anything that can disapprove new ev technology as viable, they hop on the band wagon.

    EVs are more advanced, are viable, and superior to gas cars. PERIOD.

    I’m saying some people are missing some brain cells when they go to a competitor’s website to find out about a new rival vehicle technology and believe everything that’s written about it or worse, not written. LOL.  
    
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    D. Ratliff Says:
    March 29th, 2008 at 11:22 pm

    Are you sure it s microwave or magnetic using a simple half transformer in the floor and its counter part in the car the same as a  (heresies field cooker} induction stove that uses magnetism to cause electric current in cast iron and magnetic steel to cook all that is needed is a step down transformer half in the car with a full wave rectifier to convert it to dc current to charge the battery same principal raise the input voltage the charge would take significantly less time to charge (their were power tooth brushes that used the non metal contact charge this way) safer in a wet environment and if you drive in the rain guess where the water hits most  and corrosion of external connections would occur   
    
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