Led by UBC professor Whitehead, the research team came out with a completely different method that pairs two remote magnetic gears wirelessly at a low frequency, steering clear of the need for the use of radio wave.

The working theory is straightforward.

When a car pulls in a parking lot, an outside rotating magnetic gear installed, which is charged by the grid, powers up an in-vehicle gear. The in-car gear turn, generates power to charge the battery.

“Wireless charging has been a much sought-after technical solution for everything from cell phones to electric cars,” says Whitehead, a physics professor.

“A significant concern for charging cars wirelessly has been the high power and high frequency electromagnetic fields and their unknown, potential health effects on humans, ” added he.

UBC has installed four wireless charging stations at its parking lot and has service vehicles retrofitted with the new technology. Tests show the system is more than 90% efficient, compared to a cable charge. A full charge takes four hours and enables the vehicle to run throughout an eight-hour shift.

The team originally plans to put the magnetically driven charging system to use in medical devices such as an implanted pacemaker. A patent for the technology has been filed through the University Industry Liaison Office. The technology can be used with a mobile phone.