Nissan Wants to Take Your Plug Away

It may sound far-fetched to seriously consider a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle that receives a charge through thin air, but the Palm Pre does it (sort of — it recharges by resting atop a docking station instead of actually plugging in). Nissan is driving toward a super-sized version of the same technology for electric vehicles, discussed in a recent EcoGeek posting.

Similar to how the Palm Pre charges simply by resting on a charging device, Nissan wants to create a larger version of the device that charges an electric car parked on top of it. It's debut is a ways off, and Nissan's Aug. 2 unveiling of an electric car slated for a 2012 release will plug into the wall like all other EVs. But, according to EcoGeek, it was designed to be retooled for wireless charging — called "induction" technology — should it be ready and practical in the next two years or so.

Nissan, along with Toyota, also envisions a future where induction technology is built into the roads, allowing EV motorists to charge while they drive. It all sounds dandy, but let's not forget all the hurdles that stand between that vision and actually getting it to work (which is not to say it can't be done). According to EcoGeek, induction charging wastes a lot of juice, saying that "transferring electricity wirelessly is invariably inefficient. Generally less than half of the energy transmitted actually gets picked up by the receiver. This would likely tilt the carbon equation in favor of the diesel engine, rather than the grid."

Also, induction charging takes longer and its components are more expensive. But remember the Internet circa 1995? It was slow and start up costs for new Web-based companies were way more expensive than they are today, but now the sheer volume of users has made it zippy and relatively cheap to get involved.

In the Wild West of renewable technology and smart energy innovation, anything is possible.