GM Adds Wireless Charging

GM announced yesterday that it will add Powermat wireless charging to select vehicles including the Chevy Volt. The company was on hand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas to make the announcement.

Unfortunately, the charging has nothing to do with the Volt’s batteries , but will be inside the cabin and aimed at charging cell phones and other gadgets. GM plans to get the technology into cars within the next year and a half, and will invest $5 million into Powermat as part of the partnership.

Sounds a little frivolous and tangential to driving, but having messed around with a wired 12V charger before, it would be nice to just drop my phone on a center console mat and forget about it. [via Reuters]