As part of an initiative to test alternate charging solutions, Volvo will put a wireless EV charging system to the test. In a three-year trial, a small fleet of electric Volvo XC40 Recharge cars will be utilised as taxis in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Momentum Dynamics’ wireless charging system is installed in the vehicles. Two taxi ranks will have charging stations built into the ground. Volvo will utilise 360-degree cameras to assist drivers in placing the cars in the proper location, and once they are, the cabs’ batteries will be automatically charged. Momentum Dynamics released a photograph of an EV charging at a rate of 41kW.
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“Gothenburg Green City Zone lets us try exciting new technologies in a real environment and evaluate them over time for a potential future broader introduction,” said Mats Moberg, head of Research and Development at Volvo Cars, “Testing new charging technologies together with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.”
The EVs will be on the road for more than 12 hours each day and will cover more than 100,000 kilometres (62,000 miles) per year. Volvo claims that this is the first time its electric vehicles have been put through a commercial durability test. In Norway, Momentum Dynamics has partnered with Jaguar to explore wireless charging in electric taxis.
The idea of incorporating charging technology into highways isn’t new, but it hasn’t taken off yet. Researchers and engineers are working on other ways to charge EVs while they travel, so drivers may never need to visit a traditional charging station in the future.
