BMW Brings Pilot Wireless Home Charging To 530e Lease Cars In The U.S.

BMW is bringing its global Induction Charging Pilot Program to U.S. shores, a program that was only put in place last year in Germany.

Initially, it will only be available in California for 200 interested and eligible residential home customers, who will be able to charge a vehicle inside an enclosed garage space. The pre-qualification process begins with an online questionnaire which you can find here. Step no.2 involves a 530e Readiness Survey regarding the garage and local electric grid.

Once approved, you will receive a confirmation number to visit one of 33 participating California dealers and complete a 36-month lease of the 530e Sedan. The residential hardware installation meanwhile will be completed by Qmerit.

As for all costs, expenses and expenditures associated with the initial installation, maintenance and de-installation of the Ground Pad Module, they will be covered by BMW.

By using BMW Wireless Charging, you can send electricity from a main power supply directly to a vehicle’s high voltage battery without any cables – as long as the vehicle is positioned over an induction base pad.

BMW’s Inductive Charging Station (GroundPad) can be installed either in a garage or outdoors, working alongside a secondary vehicle component (CarPad), which is fixed to the underside of the vehicle. The transfer of energy between the GroundPad and CarPad is conducted over a distance of roughly three inches (7.62 cm).

Check This Out: BMW’s Wireless Charging Tech In Action

The system features a charging power of 3.2 kW, enabling you to charge the 530e iPerformance’s batteries to 100% in around 3.5 hours, with an efficiency rate of roughly 85%.

As for the car itself, it’s offered in Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic or Bluestone Metallic exterior colors. It comes with standard Black Dakota leather inside, M Sport pack, 19-inch M double-spoke wheels, Comfort Access Keyless Entry, Shadowline exterior trim, SiriusXM radio, power tailgate, heated front seats, M steering wheel and aero kit, LED fog lights and plenty more.

Power output stands at 284 horses and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque, resulting in a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time of 6 seconds and a 130 mph (209 km/h) top speed – all thanks to a 2.0-liter turbo four-pot and an electric motor.