Cables off: Ki standard supplies kitchen appliances with power wirelessly
The Wireless Power Consortium, inventor of Qi charging, now wants to make the kitchen wireless. The first devices can be seen at CES.
Power from the hob: The Ki standard supplies kitchen appliances with power wirelessly.
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Smartphones and headphones have been charging wirelessly for a long time. Now the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is working to banish cables from the kitchen. Whether it's a toaster, blender or coffee machine: Ki (which has nothing to do with artificial intelligence), as the WPC's new technology is called, will be able to supply them all with power without a cable in future. The WPC is the body behind the widely used Qi wireless charging technology for smartphones and headphones.
(Image: heise online, rbr)
Unlike Qi, however, Ki does not stop at charging currents of 15 watts. Instead, Ki can transmit up to 2200 watts, enough to power virtually all common kitchen appliances. According to Petri Vuori, responsible for the Qi ecosystem at the WPC, the specifications of the standard were finalized in December. At CES, Philips and Midea are showcasing the first appliances that do not require any cables at all, including a kettle, a blender, a toaster and a sandwich maker. As with Qi charging, the power is transmitted inductively. Coils for the Ki supply can be integrated into inductive hobs or concealed under worktops. If a hob is used for the power supply, you can continue to cook on it as normal.
First appliances on the market in the fall
The Ki principle works in a similar way to Qi. As with smartphone charging, electricity flows from the socket into a copper coil, which converts it into a magnetic field. When a Ki-capable device is placed on the transmitter, a copper coil in the device converts the magnetic field back into electricity, which powers the device. Wireless technology is often criticized for its low efficiency compared to wired power supplies. The WPC claims to have greatly improved this compared to previous Qi versions and speaks of efficiency of between 85 and 90 percent.
Although the material costs for the copper coils and electronics required for Ki are only a few euros according to WPC, converting to Ki is likely to be expensive and resource-intensive. After all, it is not just a new hob or worktop that is needed, but also the household appliances themselves. According to Vuori, the first appliances will be launched on the market in the fall. In addition to Philips and Midea, Bosch, Miele, Whirlpool, Samsung, Beko and Electrolux are also part of the Ki Alliance.
Heise Medien is the official media partner of CES 2025.
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