In-Car Wireless Charging: An Automotive Industry Standard
According to Global Market Insights, the increased global use of cell phones and other electronic devices, alongside the demand for convenience and simpler, cordless charging among consumers, has been driving the global wireless charging market’s overall growth in the past few decades and is only expected to grow.
Wireless charging, which once mainly served consumers in public and private spaces, has become a global market demand for innovation in present-day cars and motorcycles. And, as recent studies report, wireless charging inside cars today, more than ever, is already widely considered an industry-standard feature amongst global automotive manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers worldwide. The Qi-certified inductive wireless charging systems embedded inside today’s cars are designed to charge personal electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, and wearables from most available models.
Today, over 6 Million vehicles across 22 different car models worldwide offer embedded in-cabin wireless charging solutions by Powermat, and the numbers are rising as automakers embrace innovation to meet market demands. However, alongside current expectations from cars, motorcycle manufacturers, and other two-wheeled vehicle manufacturers are exploring ways to provide a cordless charging experience to their customers as well.
Why Motorcycle Manufacturers are Exploring Built-In Mounted Wireless Charging
As customer demands for automotive innovation grow louder, wireless charging solutions that meet automotive-grade standards and expectations become a much-needed addition to any motorcycle ride experience.
Once eliminating the need to connect additional cables to motorcycles, built-in mounted wireless charging improves user-experience and provides flexibility in cases where different brands and devices can all use the same charging point (as long as the embedded solution meets the Qi standard). Additionally, built-in mounted wireless charging removes anxiety related to devices for which replacing their batteries or connecting cables for charging could be hazardous or costly. However, mounted wireless charging solutions that come built-in motorcycles are significantly different from in-cabin wireless charging solutions found in today’s vehicles – mainly when looking at the mechanical considerations and designing the user experience. This makes creating a built-in mounted wireless charging solution for motorcycles a bit more complicated than the ones found inside cars and requires a unique solution.
Why Riders Are Demanding a Built-In Mounted Wireless Charging for Motorbikes
Many of today’s motorcycles come with USB power ports installed on the bike. To use it, drivers just need to plug in their USB charging cable, and they are good to go. However, most motorcycle riders find that USB chargers are not up for the road’s challenges since ports are incredibly susceptible to dirt, power surges, and the elements when riding as ruggedized conditions outdoors expose riders to different kinds of environmental challenges. Furthermore, leaving a USB cable connected to a motorcycle’s battery at all times can slowly drain it from power because most USB ports don’t have an off-switch. This means that USB cables will always pull some power from the bike’s battery when it’s sitting. In cases when a bike sits long enough, the small drain coming from the USB can even pull enough power to kill the battery entirely and prevent the bike from starting.
When riding a motorcycle, the rider’s phone and chargers experience things that would never happen inside a car or an office. For that reason, some motorcycle enthusiasts believe that robust two-wheelers and their riders are the real driving force behind innovation when it comes to charging their devices – as market demands come directly from them. In that sense, inductive charging and the technology behind it today are responding by quickly adapting to the Powersports and motorcycling world. Some global market leaders in the wireless charging space like Powermat are already developing unique built-in mounted solutions for some motorcycle makers worldwide.
Making Built-In Mounted Wireless Charging for Motorcycles a Reality
Wireless charging, or inductive charging, is becoming more and more popular as technology today is advanced enough to exceed customer expectations. Embedded wireless charging in vehicles and motorcycles eliminates the need to keep a cable plugged into the phone and allows drivers and riders to simply place their phone on the charging mount, and it will begin to charge. Like automotive standards, motorcycles need to incorporate Qi-certified wireless charging solutions to allow their customers the freedom to charge a wide range of mobile phone models and wearables such as watches and headphones. Most wireless charging products that meet present day’s automotive-grade standards are based on the Qi open wireless charging standard led by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). To fit the WPC standard, the power coils embedded in a wireless charger need to be closely aligned with a device to start charging.
Due to their robust nature, Qi-certified wireless charging solutions designed to fit motorcycle makers’ requirements have to be uniquely tailored when creating the experience and while considering mechanical limitations. With built-in mounted wireless charging, motorcycle riders can reduce the wear and tear associated with their old charging port, lessen the chances of a power surge (inductive chargers have an off-switch), and finally have a safe charging spot for their phone and wearables while riding.
The simple fact is that riders need to charge their mobile devices and wearables, and USB ports with cables just don’t cut it in most motorcycle situations today. As a result, we are bound to see exciting new development in wireless charging innovation focused on rider convenience and safety.
Visit us to learn more about built-in mounted wireless charging solutions for motorcycles & automotive: www.powermat.com