BOULDER, CO – According to a new research brief from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, sales of wireless EV charging equipment will grow steadily through the remainder of the decade, reaching annual sales of 283,000 by 2020.

Until recently, wireless charging equipment for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has had all the characteristics of a promising technology in search of a market. In the last six to 12 months, however, this has begun to change. Nearly all of the major PEV manufacturers have announced partnerships to develop wireless charging systems, and there are signs that such systems, installed at the factory or added at the dealership, could become a market differentiator for electric vehicle (EV) models.

“The experiences of EV owners have strengthened the case that the convenience of charging could be a major factor in purchase decisions,” said Editorial Director Richard Martin. “They have also made other benefits of wireless charging, including the alleviation of range anxiety through frequent, brief top-offs via embedded, automatic wireless charging systems, much more evident.”

Many trials with OEM vehicles started up in 2012. Publicly announced wireless charging vendor relationships include: Siemens with BMW; WiTricity with Delphi and with automakers Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Audi; Qualcomm with Renault and Delta Motorsports; and Evatran with SPX Service Solutions, Google, Hertz Corp., and others. Currently, wireless EV charging systems are not on the commercial market, but at least one vendor intends to bring a system to market in the first half of 2013.

The research brief, “Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles,” examines the fledgling market for wireless charging systems for EVs, focusing on the efforts of technology developers, working in partnership with automakers, to bring systems to market. The technology of wireless EV charging is examined and explained in detail, along with the current state of and outlook for the market. Forecasts for sales of wireless EV charging systems, segmented by region, are provided through 2020.