General Motors announced a strategic partner ship with start-up company Powermat, a pioneer in wireless charging technology. GM will invest $5 million in Powermat boosting development of wireless chargers to be used for personal electronic devices in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products beginning mid-2012.

The technology is expected to revolutionize how electronic devices are charged in a car. It allows electronic devices – smart phones, MP3 players and gaming devices – to be charged safely and efficiently eliminating the need for irritating charging cords in the car. If only they could wirelessly charge the Chevrolet Volt itself!

“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,” Bly said.