GM, Powermat to Put Added Charge in Chevy Volt

General Motors and Powermat, a pioneer in wireless charging technology, announced a commercial agreement that will eliminate the need for charging cords for personal electronic devices in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products beginning mid-2012.

GM Ventures, the company’s venture capital subsidiary, will invest $5 million in Powermat to accelerate the technology’s development and support efforts to grow Powermat’s business globally.

Powermat’s technology allows electronic devices – smart phones, MP3 players and gaming devices – to be charged safely and efficiently, according to Powermat CEO Ran Poliakine.

"Imagine a mat or shelf where you could put your iPhone, your Droid or other personal device and charge it automatically while you commute to work, run errands or as you’re driving on a family vacation," said Micky Bly, GM’s lead electronics executive, including infotainment, hybrids and battery electric vehicles. The Chevy Volt will be one of the first applications, but we intend to expand it across our vehicle portfolio."