Not everyone is convinced that the convenience of wireless charging systems is sufficient compensation for their reduced efficiency. The power lost by these systems in transferring energy could be enough to make electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles less environmentally friendly than conventional cars, says Michael Kintner-Meyer at the Energy and Environment Directorate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.
If you take into account the energy used to produce the electricity, and compare it with a well-to-wheel analysis of the most efficient diesel-engine cars available today, the difference is already fairly small, says Kintner-Meyer. "It's on the tipping point. It depends how green your electricity is," he says.
Even a 10 per cent loss in overall efficiency could make electric cars the less environmentally attractive option. "When you compare a highly efficient diesel engine car with an electric car, that 10 per cent may tip the needle," Kintner-Meyer says.