2022 Genesis GV60 could be the first EV to have wireless inductive charging

The 2022 Genesis GV60 is the brand's first-ever battery electric vehicle. Genesis unveiled a few production images of its newest GV60 EV a few days ago, and it's entering the market with a couple of neat innovations. Most recently, Genesis said the GV60 is available with optional wireless charging that charges the floor-mounted batteries without finicky charging cables.

But wait, haven't we seen that type of thing before? In 2019, BMW introduced its wireless charging system for the 530e plug-in hybrid, and the German brand is the first in America to have this technology, albeit in minimal numbers. But the 530e is a PHEV, so the Genesis GV60 is still the first all-electric vehicle to incorporate wireless inductive charging.

According to Genesis, using the wireless charging feature will fully charge the batteries in around six hours compared to ten hours when using a conventional wall charger. Genesis did not mention the charging specs, but BMW's wireless charger takes 3.5 hours to recharge the 530e's battery using a 3.2 kW charging rate, less than the PHEV's wired charger.

The 2022 Genesis GV60's wireless charger is by American wireless power specialist WiTricity. The official powertrain specs remain forthcoming, but Genesis mentioned 270 miles of range on a single full charge. If that is the case, we reckon the GV60 will carry the same 58 kWh or 77.4 kWh battery pack as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, suitable for around 250 to 270 miles of driving range.

The all-new Genesis GV60 will go on sale in its home market of South Korea near the end of this year. Meanwhile, American deliveries will arrive in early or mid-2022. We can't stop thinking about the GV60's mysterious Crystal Sphere, and we can't wait to see it in action. The Crystal Sphere may be gimmicky, but an optional wireless inductive charging system is one way to stand out from the burgeoning crossover EV crowd.