With Google and Uber both developing their own self-driving cars, tech giant Qualcomm and car manufacturer Daimler are working together to improve something the world’s been familiar with for quite a while: the electric car. The newly- announced partnership between Qualcomm, a mobile technology company, and Daimler, the people behind the luxury brand of Mercedes-Benz, seeks to use wireless technology to create a new, more convenient type of luxury car: the wireless charging car.
What types of cars will Qualcomm and Mercedes-Benz Develop?
The main focus of the Qualcomm and Daimler/Mercedes-Benz collaboration is to find a way to charge electronic vehicles and hybrids without the use of a plug. With car charging stations not readily available everywhere, this new feature could finally make owning electronic cars a feasible option for the majority of people.
Thomas Webber, a board member for research and development at Daimler, stated that remaining on the cutting edge of technology is at the top of both companies’ goals. To do that they are taking wireless charging one step further.
How will Qualcomm and Mercedes-Benz Target Wireless Charging to the Luxurious?
Imagining climbing into your car after a long day of work. Your cell phone is dead, you have to meet a friend in half an hour, and there is a very important email that needs your attention. Wouldn’t it be lovely to turn the car on, see the charging icon immediately start flashing on your phone, be able to have that important email read to you with the push of a button, and pull into a parking spot with a fully charged phone that allows you to call your friend and announce your arrival?
This is the future that Qualcomm and Daimler/Mercedes-Benz imagines. In addition to developing wireless charging cars, they are also looking into creating a way for devices inside the car to charge wirelessly. In the hope of offering a truly unique in-car experience, they are also hoping to add high-speed 3G/4G connectivity to the cars as well.
Can the Qualcomm/ Mercedes -Benz connected car or compete with the self-driving car?
Can super connected, wireless charging cars compete with the fleet of self-driving cars that are being tested on the open road right this moment? As of now, the answer appears to be yes. Though competing technology companies are creating all sorts of sound waves with the idea of self-driving cars, much of this technology is still being tested and won’t be available in public markets for quite a while. Hybrids and electronic vehicles are already on the market, and becoming more and more popular. Also, with more and more people looking to stay connected outside of the home, a top-of-the-line, luxury vehicle that offers wireless charging and internet capability might seem more appealing than a self-driving car that still seems like science-fiction to most.
