DAIHEN Corporation, a global leader in electric power transmission, distribution products and industrial robotics, has secured a license to commercialize wireless charging stations for electric vehicles utilizing WiTricity’s patented technology.
DAIHEN began shipments of wireless EV charging systems for industrial materials handling in 2016 after entering into a licensing and technology transfer agreement with WiTricity. DAIHEN will now use WiTricity’s DRIVE 11 wireless charging system as the reference design for its own line of standards-compliant wireless chargers for battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
As major automotive markets such as India, China, France, Germany and the UK pledge to go all-electric over the next few decades, and with all global carmakers now at work developing vehicles equipped with wireless charging, DAIHEN seeks to leverage its position as a leading supplier of electric power transmission and distribution. WiTricity’s DRIVE 11 reference design will accelerate DAIHEN’s product development and enable it to deliver highly efficient and interoperable wireless charging stations that meet global automotive standards. With its license to sell WiTricity’s DRIVE 11 wireless power transfer system, DAIHEN is enabling EV market growth and future vehicle autonomy.
The WiTricity DRIVE 11 system includes a charging pad that can be mounted on or flush with the ground, and uses WiTricity’s patented magnetic resonance technology to send power to a vehicle parked above it, requiring no cables or moving parts. The DRIVE system has industry-leading charge and efficiency rates, and is capable of charging all vehicle types – from low ground clearance sports cars to high ground clearance SUVs. Carmakers, Tier 1 suppliers and technology providers like WiTricity are cooperating to develop global standards that will enable all vehicles equipped for wireless charging to receive power at any wireless charging station. DAIHEN sees opportunity to supply wireless charging stations for use at private residences, commercial parking lots and public parking facilities.
“DAIHEN saw wireless power transfer as a foundational technology for the factory of the future, and as we planned our entrance into the automotive market, we knew that WiTricity’s technology would be a natural and necessary fit,” said Ryohei Tanaka, DAIHEN general manager and chief engineer of research and development. “WiTricity’s technology offers flexible and efficient wireless charging experiences, and its DRIVE 11 system enables us to deliver that experience to the rapidly expanding global EV market.”
WiTricity develops solutions to enable wireless power transfer over distance using its patented magnetic resonance technology. WiTricity works with top global carmakers and Tier 1 suppliers to deploy magnetic resonance solutions, helping realize a future of transportation that is electrified, shared and autonomous.
