It looks like the future of electric vehicle charging is finally here, and it's wireless! No more wrestling with those cumbersome charging cables or trying to find a perfectly aligned parking spot. Just pull up, park, and let the magic happen.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been busy beavering away and has set a new world record for wireless EV charging. They managed to pump a whopping 270 kilowatts into a Porsche Taycan without any wires attached. That's the same power as some of the fastest public DC chargers you'll find. In fact, it's even faster than some cars can charge using a plug!

This isn't some pie-in-the-sky tech, either. ORNL reckons their system could add 50% charge to your battery in about 10 minutes. That's faster than any previous wireless system and means you'll be back on the road in no time.

So, how does it work? Well, it's a bit like magic, but there's some clever science behind it. There's a transmitter pad on the ground and a receiver mounted under the car. When you park, the two connect wirelessly and the juice starts flowing. Basically, it's a very similar idea like we have in wireless phone chargers, but at a much larger scale and with some magic dust thrown in for good measure.

ORNL's secret sauce is something called polyphase windings. These are special electromagnetic coils that create a rotating magnetic field, which makes the whole thing more efficient. They're also compact, so they can fit into the space where Porsche planned to put an 11-kilowatt wireless charger in future Taycans.

There are a bunch of advantages to wireless charging. For starters, no more cables! That's a big deal for people with mobility issues, and it also means no more stolen or vandalized cables. Plus, the system should be easier to maintain than those finicky DC chargers with their overheating cables and temperamental connectors.

Another plus is that you don't have to worry about finding a charger with a cable long enough to reach your car's charging port or parking in just the right spot. With wireless charging, you just park and walk away. It's perfect for robotaxis and delivery drivers who don't have time to mess around with plugs.

ORNL's prototype can work with cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes. They've even tested it on a UPS truck with a ground clearance of 11 inches. And don't worry about safety; the system meets all the electromagnetic field emission limits.

When can we expect to see this tech on our driveways? Well, it's still a few years away, but ORNL is working on it. They're already collaborating with Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Stellantis, and they even see the potential for wireless charging in industrial robots.

While we patiently await the arrival of yet another revolutionary tech, we can dream of a future where we never have to plug in our cars again. Just imagine pulling into your garage, parking, and letting the car charge itself while you go about your day. It's the kind of convenience we've all been waiting for.

So there you have it, folks. Wireless EV charging is finally (slowly for now) becoming a reality. It's faster than ever, more convenient, and more reliable than ever before. Now, if only they could make a wireless charger for my coffee cup… wait, they already do?