Wi-Fi charging on the way from Nissan

Electric car owners will soon be able to power up their vehicles without ever plugging them in.

Nissan has revealed it’s working on a hi-tech solution called ‘inductive charging’, which allows the battery to be replenished simply by being close enough to an energy station. Electricity is induced into the battery through the air without a cable.

The system works particularly well for city taxis. Sitting on a rank for several minutes at a time, they can charge via technology that’s been installed under the surface of the road. But the set-up is likely to be showcased first on Nissan’s two-seater runaround, the Land Glider. The initiative was revealed by Andy Palmer, head of Nissan’s Zero Emissions Business Unit, at the Tokyo Motor Show.

He said: “We are a long way down the road with inductive charging. We are out of the lab on static charging, but not on dynamic applications.” The latter innovation would mean EVs could boost their power levels on the go, without even needing to be parked.

Nissan also announced a strategy to recycle batteries from EVs such as the Leaf, set to go on sale next year. The firm’s goal is to have EVs making up 10 per cent of its sales by 2020.