Wiferion’s wireless charging business acquired by industrial power supply provider PULS

PULS, a provider of power supplies for industrial applications, is taking over the industrial wireless charging business of Wiferion, an energy solution supplier powering mobile robots and autonomous industrial vehicles through wireless charging, PULS has announced. Wiferion will become a new business unit within PULS, PULS Wireless, and the current operational team will remain in Freiburg, Germany, selling to and servicing global accounts, PULS stated.

As noted in media reports over the summer, electric vehicle maker Tesla had purchased Wiferion, reportedly to gain expertise in wireless EV charging, and has now sold the company. However, PULS is not saying from whom it acquired Wiferion.

In its announcement, PULS stated that Wiferion’s platform is now enhanced with PULS capabilities as a technology-driven company, and existing customers will benefit from the company’s global presence in manufacturing and application support. The addition of Wiferion’s technology to the PULS portfolio will provide customers in the manufacturing and intralogistics industries fleet efficiency that is maintenance-free, reliable and flexible, helping companies to increase productivity while reducing costs, added PULS, which is known as being a leading manufacturer of DIN rail power supplies.

“For both companies, efficiency and reliability are key,” said Matthieu Ebert, former VP of Wiferion’s North American subsidiary who will now serve as director of product and technology of the PULS Wireless business unit. "Since PULS already has a strong presence in intralogistics, Wiferion’s wireless charging solution is the ideal addition to the existing product portfolio to address a similar customer base. There is an innate compatibility between Wiferion and PULS that will ensure success for future applications and our existing customers.”

"As a pioneer, Wiferion has successfully developed inductive charging to maximize the performance of industrial electric vehicles such as autonomous guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots and forklifts, and thereby gained the leading market position," added Bernhard Erdl, managing director and owner of PULS GmbH. "With the additional capabilities of PULS, we want to make this system the global market standard and will invest significantly."

According to PULS, inductive wireless charging is moving toward a standard power platform, and Wiferion has established itself in the U.S. market as a leading supplier of solutions for the mobile wireless power supply for industrial trucks, autonomous guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots.  Wiferion has gained nearly 30 new U.S. customers this year, PULS noted.

Wiferion’s etaLINK series of inductive battery charging systems eliminate unnecessary machine downtime and the need for wired charging, PULS added. The system has been designed into more than 100 different industrial EV and mobile robots, with thousands of units sold globally, including installation in several European and U.S. automotive manufacturing facilities.