motech

BREAKING: The FCC today officially granted @Tesla a waiver allowing it to use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio technology for its wireless EV charging system that will be used to wirelessly charge the Cybercab. Normally, this kind of radio must be handheld and can’t be installed outdoors on fixed equipment. Tesla’s charging pad is fixed and could be outdoors, so they needed an exception. The FCC said yes because: • The signal is very low power • It only turns on briefly while parking • It works at very short range • It won’t interfere with other systems More information from the filing: "The Tesla positioning system is an impulse UWB radio system that enables peer-to-peer communications between a UWB transceiver installed on an electric vehicle (EV) and a second UWB transceiver installed on a ground-level pad — which could be located outdoors — to achieve optimal positioning for the EV to charge wirelessly. Prior to the UWB operation, the vehicular system uses Bluetooth technology for the vehicle to discover the location of the ground pad and engage in data exchange activities (which is not subject to the waiver). When the vehicle approaches the ground pad, the UWB transceivers will operate to track the position of the vehicle to determine when the optimal position has been achieved over the pad before enabling wireless power charging." In its waiver request, Tesla states that the UWB signals occur only briefly when the vehicle approaches the ground pad; and mostly at ground level between the vehicle and the pad, and that the UWB signals are then significantly attenuated by the body of the vehicle positioned over the pad.