# Educate me about induction charging for cars **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-induction-charging-for-cars/820037 "2018-08-22T10:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-induction-charging-for-cars/820037/1 "2018-08-22T10:49:28Z")
I’ve been thinking about switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle. But my parking pitch is separate from my flat and there’s no easy way of putting in a charging point that doesn’t impact and impose upon everyone else. So I’m thinking about induction charging. I’ve seen adverts for portable induction charging points, but would need a permanent installation. Is this possible? Is this safe? I live next to a school and kids could easily walk across it. Can you get them locked to a car? So that it automatically starts charging when I park and doesn’t charge anyone else’s car? ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-induction-charging-for-cars/820037/2 "2018-08-22T12:06:35Z")
Can you provide any links to these adverts? When I did a quick google for ‘portable induction chargers’ or ‘induction charger for cars’ all I get are phone chargers. I don’t know of any current electric or hybrid cars that support induction charging. Do you have a garage with your flat, or could you run an extension lead to where you park? Most electric cars can charge off the mains slowly. My BMW i3 will charge from 15% to full in about 7 hours. With a dedicated high voltage charger it would be about 3-4 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-induction-charging-for-cars/820037/3 "2018-08-22T12:28:42Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > Can you provide any links to these adverts? When I did a quick google for ‘portable induction chargers’ or ‘induction charger for cars’ all I get are phone chargers. [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlrcPrzuPMM) an example. I’m hoping there are Dopers who know a lot more. > [@](#): > > I don’t know of any current electric or hybrid cars that support induction charging. Quite a few do and more are on the way. > [@](#): > > Do you have a garage with your flat, or could you run an extension lead to where you park? Most electric cars can charge off the mains slowly. No garage, and I’m in a first-floor flat. (That’s second floor for Americans.) A standard charging station would get in the way of the other residents. The ideal would be to have an induction pad permanently fitted to my parking place. Hence the safety questions. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-induction-charging-for-cars/820037/4 "2018-08-22T15:19:46Z")
OK, that’s pretty cool. I guess I haven’t been keeping up on current events in the EV world as much as I thought. Some better googling returned [this article](http://www.thedrive.com/tech/19995/wireless-electric-car-charging-is-coming-and-it-could-help-stabilize-the-power-grid) Based on the BMW example it looks like it doesn’t activate until it detects the car in the right spot. Hopefully it would also be keyed to YOUR car so some random driver with an induction-enabled car couldn’t drive up and steal your electricity. You’d still need to run mains power from your meter to the parking spot.