The Chevrolet Volt, which we’ve seen with a reasonably impressive smartphone app for managing the car’s charging schedule, will have one more phone-friendly addition: a wireless charging mat built right into the vehicle. As a part of the agreement, GM is squeezing $5 million of investment capital into Powermat, which will not only enable phones to charge in their vehicles sans-wires, but a wide variety of compatible electronics. Though the Volt will be the first car to have this technology built-in, Chevrolet hopes to get Powermats installed in more vehicles in the future.
Powermat is a great addition for any car, since you’ve gotta put your phone down somewhere while behind the wheel, so it might as well be charging. This partnership is also significant in that wireless charging is starting to be built into everyday surfaces; before long, you’ll see dinner tables, armrests, maybe even a little section of a laptop with Powermats. I wonder how the Qi consotrium will effect Powermat’s progress, though; will they be compatible with one another? Will manufacturers undercut the company if they just build the technology right into their phones, like Palm has? I think that largely depends on how quickly Powermat can replace their occasionally-bulky custom battery doors with purpose-built batteries that work right through the stock casing.
Anyway, this is still a ways off – GM cars will start getting Powermats in mid-2012.
[via GM]