General Motors has a plan in the works to offer wireless smartphone charging in some of its vehicles. Just think about how nice it would be not to worry about cables running every which way when you’re on your next road trip.
Instead, you simply need to place your phone on the built-in Powermat surface in the car and it will charge itself automatically. In order for the wireless smartphone charging to work, you will need to have a phone with special embedded technology that allows for this type of charging, but if you don’t, no worries. You can still get a simple phone case that will allow phones without the built-in technology the ability to charge wirelessly.
This isn’t the first time wireless smartphone charging has been offered in cars, but is a first for both General Motors and Powermat. Wireless charging is also currently available in Toyota’s 2013 Avalon and Chrysler’s 2013 Dodge Dart as well as its upcoming 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The technology is out there, but it’s definitely not the norm. Yet.
Wireless charging technology is making its way into all aspects of a consumer’s life. You can find the Powermat built into tables at Starbuck’s locations in Silicon Valley, Boston, and in Madison Square Garden. Charge yourself with a latte while your phone sits on the table and gets its own charge in a time comparable to what you’d experience with a wired connection.
One of the challenges the wireless charging industry faces is the lack of a universally accepted standard for the technology. Powermat, Blackberry and AT&T are all part of Powers Matters Alliance but there are several other groups promoting their own versions of the technology.
GM has yet to announce an exact date for implementation of Powermat wireless charging in their vehicles, or which vehicles in their line-up will carry the feature.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
