Volvo testing wireless, in-road charging system for EVs

The in-road electricity bug that's bitten researchers from Utah to South Korea has flown to Sweden, where Volvo is working with a handful of partners to develop its own take on dynamic, wireless recharging technology.

The Swedish automaker recently reported that it's been testing an in-road charging system near its Gothenburg headquarters since last fall. Volvo, along with Alstom, the Swedish Energy Agency, Swedish Transport Administration and a number of universities, has built a quarter-mile-long track for such testing, which includes a so-called "current collector" on the testing trucks.

Researchers have looked into the idea of in-road dynamic recharging as a way for vehicles to go long distances without requiring massive batteries. A touchless magnetic induction system was developed in South Korea as far back as 2009. And last year, Utah State researchers said they were working on a program that involved an electric bus being wirelessly charged by a mile-and-a-half long in-road recharging system powered by coils inside the road bed. Between this, fast charging and Tesla's battery swaps, solutions to long-distance EV driving are popping up everywhere.




Courtesy of Auto Blog Green

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