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The
smartphone chipmaker said a so-called "dynamic charging" test
took place on a test track in Versailles, France. It used two
Renault Kangoo vehicles driving over embedded pads in the road
that transferred a charge to the cars' batteries at up to 20
kilowatts at highway speeds.
Experts believe that self-driving cars of tomorrow will be
electric and require a way to charge themselves without human
intervention.
Wireless charging is an important area of research for
carmakers, their suppliers and start-ups like xChargepoint,
WiTricity and HEVO Power.
Qualcomm, which supplies chips to Android phone makers and Apple
Inc, is on track to become the leading supplier to the
fast-growing automotive chips market given its pending $38
billion takeover of NXP Semiconductors.
European Union regulators are to rule by June 9 on the deal,
which would be the semiconductor industry's biggest to date.
Electric vehicle charging is one area where Qualcomm could grow
as it strives to reduce its dependence on a cooling smartphone
market.
Qualcomm Chief Executive Steven Mollenkopf has called automotive
technology and Internet of Things - in which household objects
like cars and refrigerators communicate - a "tremendous
opportunity" for the company.
(Reporting By Alexandria Sage; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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