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Power Cords vs. Wireless Power Transmission

Increasingly, people seem to be talking about the possibilities presented by inductive charging. Instead of involving the direct connection of conductive materials, inductive chargers are considered to be wireless because they transfer energy via electromagnetic fields. Wireless power transmission is a novel technology, and it seems like it could elevate the prospects for new, high-technology industrial and

power cords go the way of the Betamax player?

The answer is no. Sorry to get your hopes up, but let’s get real about inductive charging for a minute. At least in its current stage of development, wireless electronic transmission isn’t affordable or practical enough to be put to wide use. This means that it’s not yet practical as a product for industry and commerce, and it doesn’t yet have high utility for consumers. As it happens, wireless transmission isn’t a terribly new development in electricity transmission. Nicola Tesla’s experiments with wireless electrical transmission were happening in the early 20th century, and wireless power transmission is a feature of a small variety of products, including electric tooth brushes, portable digital media players and even vehicles. While there is increasing promise for the viability of wireless electrical transmission as the technology develops, such as in the context of electric car charging, currently available technology is seriously limited in terms of transmission capacity and possible distance between transmissive elements.

Power cords are the tried and true, go-to power transmission utilities for industry and commerce, and the outlook for the continued use of power cords extends beyond the horizon. Until there’s a paradigm shift in the wireless power transmission field, power cords will continue to be necessary. In the mean time, they are inexpensive, reliable means of power transmission.