How Porsche brings inductive charging to market maturity
Götz FuchslocherGötzFuchslocher
2 min
At the IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, a prototype with luminous paint demonstrated the inductive charging technology with a one-box base plate.Porsche
Porsche is developing a wireless charging system for electric cars: From 2026, the new Cayenne Electric will be able to charge inductively via a base plate with up to eleven kW, making the charging process more convenient in everyday life.
Porsche Wireless Charging includes an 11-kW charging system with a one-box ground plate for battery electric vehicles (BEV). One-box means that apart from the ground plate mounted at the parking space, no wall box or control unit needs to be installed. As the sports car manufacturer announced ahead of the IAA Mobility 2025, the first model series to be ordered with the vehicle-side equipment will be the new, fully electric generation of the Cayenne, which will demonstrate the technology as a prototype at the trade fair. According to the manufacturer, sales of the ground plate will start in 2026 at Porsche centres and online in the Porsche shop. Wireless charging will initially start in Europe, with other markets to follow.
With a maximum charging power of up to 11 kW, Porsche claims its contactless charging system has reached the level of wired AC charging.Porsche
The focus of charging processes is on home operation
According to an analysis by the sports car manufacturer, around 75 per cent of all charging processes for a fully electric Porsche take place at home. With a maximum charging capacity of up to eleven kW, the sports car manufacturer claims that its contactless charging system has even reached the level of wired AC charging. The efficiency of energy transfer from the power grid to the battery is up to 90 per cent, according to Porsche. The wireless charging ground plate (length/width/height: 117/78/6 centimetres) can be installed in a garage, carport, or on an outdoor parking space and connected to the power grid. Customers can be supported by the Porsche installation service.
Ultra-wideband technology for determining vehicle position
To enable contactless charging, hardware is also required on the car. The first model series to be optionally equipped with Porsche Wireless Charging preparation and Porsche Wireless Vehicle Plate will be the new, fully electric generation of the Cayenne (internal code: E4). Protected from stone chips and weather influences, the receiving unit is located in the vehicle's underbody between the front wheels.
A special view in the park function surround view makes it easier to position the Cayenne optimally for charging.Porsche
For the charging process, the Cayenne only needs to be parked over the ground plate. A motion detector and foreign object detection ensure an interruption if, for example, a living being is between the car and the ground plate. Porsche's concept uses ultra-wideband technology to determine the relative position of the vehicle over the ground plate. In the vehicle-side secondary coil, which acts as a receiving unit, the magnetic field then generates alternating current. A rectifier then converts this into direct current so that the Cayenne's high-voltage battery can store it.
Porsche Wireless Charging is integrated into the My Porsche App, allowing charging processes to be tracked and multiple vehicles to be authenticated. A special view in the Surround View parking function simplifies steering the Cayenne to the optimal charging position. Once the parking position over the ground plate is reached and the parking brake is activated, the charging process begins. Customers do not need to do anything else. Comfort functions known from AC charging, such as timer charging with preconditioning, are also available with wireless charging. Extensive tests - including by TÜV Süd - have confirmed the robustness of the system according to Porsche. In addition, the ground plate is CE and UL certified, thus meeting EU and US-wide safety and environmental protection requirements.
The bodywork of the demo vehicle at the IAA Mobility with striking luminous paint was designed by Style Porsche. The paint consists of over 25 extremely thin layers. As soon as electricity flows, a body image with brightly glowing areas is created. Individual paint sections are deliberately left out and remain dark. Five shades, from blue to violet, can be specifically controlled.
