General Motors and Powermat announced a deal that will eliminate the need for charging cords for personal electronic devices in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products beginning mid-2012.
GM Ventures, the company’s venture capital subsidiary, will invest $5 million in Powermat to accelerate the technology’s development and support efforts to grow Powermat’s business globally.
GM plans to install the Powermat units in its new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. It’ll start showing up in vehicles in about 18 months. GM will eventually make it available to other models.
The Chevrolet Volt will have a center compartment for both front- and rear-seat passengers where electronic devices can be placed for recharging. The technology is expected to revolutionize how electronic devices are charged in a car.
Powermat allows users to enable their electronic devices once with a Powermat receiver and then set down up to three devices on the charging mat for fast, safe and effective wireless charging.
Powermat’s technology allows electronic devices – smart phones, MP3 players and gaming devices – to be charged safely and efficiently, according to Powermat CEO Ran Poliakine.
“Imagine a mat or shelf where you could put your iPhone, your Droid or other personal device and charge it automatically while you commute to work, run errands or as you’re driving on a family vacation,” said Micky Bly, GM’s lead electronics executive, including infotainment, hybrids and battery electric vehicles.
Powermat, a private firm, was founded in 2007 and offers wireless charging products for the home in a number of retail stores, including Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
