Porsche Makes EV Ownership Easier with Wireless At-Home Battery Charging

Porsche will make electric vehicle (EV) charging easier with the upcoming, all-electric 2026 Cayenne thanks to a new function that allows owners to simply park their vehicle and walk away. Like a mobile phone, drivers will soon be able to charge their vehicle wirelessly thanks to inductive charging technology.

The system works with the purchase of a charging plate, which weighs 50 kg (110 lbs) and measures in at 117x78x6 cm (46x31x2 inches length/width/height). The good news is that the new charger does not require an owner to already have an at-home charger or wall box and can simply be plugged in on its own.

Owners can place the plate anywhere — be that in a garage or even outside on a driveway — as long as the plug reaches the wall. Capable of connecting to the internet, the charger can be updated over the air, and that it works with the Porsche app to allow owners to time their departure, precondition the cabin, and more.

Porsche says it has worked hard to create a wireless charger that works regardless of the weather, and is smart enough to shut itself off if something goes wrong, such as a small animal crawling between the plate and the vehicle. While there are dangers to objects getting in between the charger and the vehicle, the nature of inductive charging means that electric shocks are not possible even if a creature (or a person's hand) gets between the plate and the vehicle. In addition, the charging plate has been designed to be tough enough to be driven over.

The charger works by generating a magnetic field through which energy is transferred, and Porsche claims its technology charges a vehicle with up to 90 per cent efficiency. That’s a big deal, because efficiency has long been one of the challenges facing automakers working on inductive charging for EVs.

The automaker has not revealed how long it will take to charge the Cayenne wirelessly, but, at 11 kW, it should deliver around as much power as the average at-home Level 2 charge port, which is usually capable of fully charging an EV in eight hours or less. However, it should be noted that the slower speed of inductive charging (due to its lower efficiency as compared to a fully wired connection) is one of the technology’s main disadvantages.

Unfortunately, the plate will not work with any EV, nor with any Porsche apart from the Cayenne for now. That’s because in addition to the charge plate, an EV needs to be equipped with a special receiver in order to charge.

Porsche says it has designed the Cayenne's receiver to be protected from rock chips and other roadway detritus. In addition, the SUV has been equipped with a special camera view designed to help drivers line their vehicle up with the charger, and it will lower itself once it’s over the charger in order to shrink the gap between the plate and the vehicle.

Porsche plans to launch its wireless charging technology in Europe in 2026. Other markets, including North America will follow.