EMRC Report: State of the art of wireless charging

This report explores the current state of wireless charging for electric vehicles (EVs). Prepared in the format of a whitepaper, the report explains the working principles of wireless charging technologies. Additionally, the report assesses the technological and market development levels of this emerging trend. It analyzes the market and identifies key players, and examines the diffusion levels from academic, commercial, standardization, and intellectual property perspectives utilizing public databases. Wireless charging transfers electrical energy from power grid to a vehicle without the need for physical connectors. The most promising technology, resonant inductive power transfer, bridges the gap between a transmitting coil in the charging infrastructure and a receiver coil integrated into the vehicle with high-frequency electromagnetic resonance. Conventional conductive charging involves direct contact through cables and connectors, using AC or DC currents for power transfer. In contrast, wireless charging employs resonant inductive coupling, utilizing alternating magnetic fields to transfer energy without physical contact. These systems differ in energy efficiency, power density, integration, alignment, and safety protocols. Wireless charging air gap with transmitting and receiving coils are analogous to isolation transformer in galvanic charging applications. While public and academic interest in wireless charging has grown steadily, driven by rising search trends and publications, patent activity has slightly declined since 2021, following a surge that began in 2010. This suggests a gap between early technological development and slower market adoption. The drop in patenting may reflect industry hesitation due to market readiness, standardization challenges, cost, technical feasibility concerns, and safety issues. The global wireless charging market is still taking shape, with current size estimates ranging widely from USD 15 million to USD 125.8 million due to differences in definitions and methodologies. Despite this variability, all sources agree on strong growth potential, with 2030–2034 projections between USD 437.86 million and USD 33.5 billion and CAGR estimates of 29.2% to 89.3%.