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HEVO, a New York-based wireless charging supplier, will join Oak Ridge National Laboratory and BMW in a technology evaluation program testing ORNL’s polyphase wireless charging coils. HEVO brings circular coil topologies and commercial deployment experience; participants say polyphase charging could improve power density, efficiency and packaging.
HEVO, a New York-based Tier 1 supplier of wireless charging hardware and software, will work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and BMW in a technology evaluation program aimed at advancing next-generation wireless EV charging, the company announced. HEVO will contribute wireless charging expertise, engineering support and circular coil topologies to support BMW’s bench testing of compatibility with ORNL’s proprietary polyphase coil technology.
According to HEVO, the evaluation will focus on how circular coil topologies perform alongside ORNL’s polyphase coil designs in BMW’s bench testing environment. The participants say polyphase wireless charging has the potential to improve the power density, efficiency and packaging of wireless charging systems — three factors that shape whether wireless charging can move beyond low-power niche use into mainstream electric vehicle platforms.
ORNL and BMW have previously publicly demonstrated advances in polyphase wireless charging systems, which the partners say highlight the technology’s potential for next-generation mobility platforms. The new testing builds on those earlier efforts to explore advanced wireless charging architectures capable of supporting future electric mobility platforms, HEVO stated.
HEVO’s role is that of a technical contributor and evaluator rather than the lead developer of the polyphase technology itself. The company is an ORNL technology licensee, and it says its objective is to bring practical experience from commercial wireless charging deployments to the analysis while helping assess technologies that may support future EV ecosystems.
Why Polyphase Coil Testing Matters
Wireless charging is widely viewed in the industry as an enabler for automated vehicle operations, including autonomous fleets and hands-free charging scenarios where drivers never plug in a cable. HEVO said it believes wireless charging will play an increasingly important role in enabling such operations, and the company’s CEO described it as foundational to the future of electric and autonomous transportation.
The specific question this program addresses is whether circular coil designs — a commercially deployed approach — are compatible with ORNL’s polyphase architecture, which the participants claim can deliver higher power density and better packaging. If compatibility is confirmed through BMW’s bench testing, it could shorten the path from laboratory demonstration to deployable hardware. If problems emerge, it would signal that further architecture work is needed before the technology is production-ready.
For EV owners and fleet operators, more efficient and compact wireless systems could eventually translate into faster charging without physical connectors, which matters for high-utilization autonomous vehicles and shared mobility fleets in particular.
ORNL, BMW and HEVO Prior Work
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy research facility, has spent years developing wireless power transfer technology, including high-power charging demonstrations. ORNL and BMW have already publicly demonstrated polyphase wireless charging advances, according to the program participants, and the new evaluation continues that collaboration.
HEVO, based in New York, positions itself as a Tier 1 supplier of wireless charging hardware and software and has commercial wireless charging deployments it can draw on. The company holds a license to ORNL technology, which provides the formal basis for its involvement in evaluating circular and polyphase systems. BMW’s role is conducting the bench testing that will determine how the two coil approaches interact.
“Wireless charging will be a foundational technology for the future of electric and autonomous transportation.”
— Jeremy McCool, founder and CEO of HEVO
Open Questions in the Evaluation
The announcement does not specify a timeline for the bench testing, the power levels to be tested, or the performance benchmarks BMW will use to judge compatibility. No results have been released, and the claim that polyphase charging improves power density, efficiency and packaging remains a stated potential rather than a validated outcome of this program.
It is also unclear whether the evaluation could lead to a production commitment from BMW, a licensing arrangement beyond HEVO’s existing agreement with ORNL, or further development phases. The announcement describes a technology evaluation only, not a product plan.
Bench Testing and Its Outcomes
BMW will conduct bench testing to evaluate the compatibility of HEVO’s circular coil topologies with ORNL’s polyphase coil technology, supported by HEVO’s engineering analysis. Watch for announced test results, power and efficiency figures, any expansion of the ORNL-BMW-HEVO collaboration, and broader movement on wireless charging standards, which will shape whether the technology reaches commercial vehicles.
Key Questions
What is polyphase wireless charging?
It is a wireless power transfer architecture developed by ORNL that, according to the program participants, has the potential to improve the power density, efficiency and packaging of wireless charging systems compared with conventional designs.
What is HEVO’s role in the program?
HEVO will provide wireless charging expertise, engineering support and circular coil topologies for BMW’s bench testing. As an ORNL technology licensee, the company will also contribute technical analysis based on its commercial deployments.
Is BMW committing to wireless charging in production EVs?
No. The announcement covers a technology evaluation program only. BMW’s involvement is bench testing at this stage, and no production plans have been announced.
When will test results be available?
That has not been disclosed. The announcement did not include a timeline, power levels, or benchmarks for the evaluation.
Why does wireless charging matter for autonomous vehicles?
HEVO argues that wireless charging enables fully automated vehicle operations because vehicles can charge without human handling of cables — a requirement for driverless fleets operating at high utilization.
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