One of Europe’s leading Carmakers, Daimler, announced a partnership with mobile technologies company Qualcomm Inc. to explore the concept of wireless phone charging in cars and electric car charging without cables.
The move forms part of a broader push by Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and rival German carmakers BMW and Audi to build their expertise in software and telecommunications to bolster their status as high-tech carmakers in an era when tightening emission rules force them to downsize engines, once a mainstay of profit.
In a joint statement, Daimler and Qualcomm said they were assessing the application of wireless technology to charge their electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid EVs without ever having to plug them in.
The companies are also exploring technologies that will enable customers to wirelessly charge devices such as mobile phones while driving in their cars and ways to enhance the in-car experience through high-speed 3G/4G connectivity.
“It’s important that we remain on the cutting edge of technology and continue to deliver unparalleled experiences to our customers,” Daimler’s board member for research and development, Thomas Weber, said.
“With this in mind, we are eager to jointly explore possible fields of future cooperation with an internationally leading tech firm like Qualcomm,” Weber said in a statement.
