Volvo is testing wireless charging technology for electric cars in Sweden
Volvo revealed that they are currently testing a new wireless charging technology for electric cars. The test will be carried out in the city of Gothenburg in the company’s home country Sweden. It will run for a period of three years, with the aim of evaluating the technology’s potential for the electric cars of the future.
The Swedish car manufacturer explains that the technology uses integrated charging plates developed by the American technology company Momentum Dynamics, which also functions as parking spaces for electric cars. Deployed for the test is a fleet of Volvo XC40 Recharge compact SUVs that have been modified to have wireless charging.
The vehicles will be used as taxis in Gothenburg throughout the three-year period, operated by taxi operator Cabonline. The XC40 Recharge SUVs will be used for more than 12 hours a day and drive 100,000 km per year. Volvo notes that this is the first durability test for its electric cars conducted in a commercial environment.
In terms of performance, Momentum Dynamics technology is claimed to deliver a wireless charging speed of over 40 kW. Which is about four times faster than a wired 11 kW AC charger, but still a little slower than 50 kW DC fast chargers.
There is no denying that the wireless charging method is definitely the next step for the EV scene. Firstly, it bypasses the need for plugs – which means that owners do not have to worry about different types of contacts when charging their electric cars, which is very convenient.
But as most of us are aware by now, convenience usually comes with a cost and it would not be surprising if wireless charging pads are offered at higher subscription prices than its wired counterparts. In addition, the technology is still considered to be at an early stage, so it may take some time before we actually get to see it implemented on a larger scale.
(Source: Volvo [Official website])