The 2015 Cadillac ATS will feature wireless charging powermats for mobile phones. The vehicle is expected to make its debut in the fall.
The powermat wireless charging features are set to be deployed in the CTS and Escalade models as well.
The Cadillacs are the first of any General Motors vehicles to come equipped with wireless charging features, according to a recent report in Tech Times. The handset on the phone must be equipped for wireless charging, too.
There may be some issues ahead for smartphone users. The powermat pad may not be compatible with headsets that do have wireless charging. The problem for these users is that the phones often use a competing wireless charging standard, according to one report, so compatibility may be an issue.
The pad itself will be located behind the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) "infotainment" center in the 2015 ATS. It appears that the Cadillacs will also support a Qi charging standard, even though Cadillac made no mention of it in a press release, according to a report. A video with the system, however, shows a Nexus 5 phone (which has the Qi standard) being charged inside a Cadillac ATS.
In this wireless charging scenario, users are able to keep charging their phone simply by laying it on the rubber mat where it charges in an electromagnetic field. No cord or wires are in the way, like they usually are. Also, Bluetooth may be connected and in use within the car at the same time the device is being charged. The powermat enables the phone to simply sit on a rubberized pad. An increasing number of smartphones have wireless charging either embedded or as an option, a press release from Powermat Technologies notes, and the wireless charger GM and Powermat created accommodates the majority of these enabled devices.
Cadillac said the option will become available at the end of 2014 for the Escalade models, according to a report. Tablets can also be charged on the powermats. Cadillac also said that the price of the ATS model will be announced, possibly next week.
The CUE system would cost about $1,350 to put one into a previous ATS model. An electromagnetic field is used in the pad to charge the phone. GM claims the charging works on a majority of phones with wireless charging capabilities.
Audi, Mercedes and BMW, all European luxury cars, have produced models to compete with the Cadillac ATS. Those particular models include the A4, 3 Series and C Class respectively .
Most people need to charge their phones frequently. Cadillac has taken that data and used it to develop the wireless charging pad with Powermat Technologies, a manufacturer that specializes in the technology.
