Volvo launches 3-year pilot for wireless charging of electric cars in Sweden
The program will take place in Gothenburg with Volvo XC40 Recharge vehicles and Momentum Dynamics wireless charging technology.
The program, part of the Gothenburg Green City Zone initiative to test new zero-emission transport technologies, will use a small fleet of all-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge vehicles as taxis.
These taxis used by Cabonline, the Nordic region’s largest taxi operator, will run more than 12 hours a day and 100 000 km per year. As such, it also marks the first sustainability demonstration of all-electric Volvo cars in a commercial use scenario.
“Green City Zone in Gothenburg allows us to test exciting new technology in a real environment and evaluate them over time for a potential future broader introduction,” says Mats Moberg, head of research and development at Volvo Cars.
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“Testing new charging technology together with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.”
Momentum Dynamics’ wireless charging stations will be located at two locations in Gothenburg. The inductive technology consists of a charging plate embedded in the road while the vehicle is equipped with a receiver plate – similar to the inductive charging process for today’s smartphones.
The technology, which has been used commercially for more than four years on various types of electric cars, is based on resonant magnetic induction where power transmission takes place via a magnetic field.
The charging process starts automatically when the vehicle is parked over the plate and in practice the charging will be partial rather than full, which effectively reduces the speed of battery deterioration and increases its life.
During the test period, Volvo will regularly collect data as well as driver and customer feedback to find ways to further improve the charging experience. Drivers will be guided to the charging position with the built-in 360 camera.
Momentum Dynamics’ CEO Andy Daga says that automated charging provides unlimited driving range for high-intensity driving and the system should make it possible for Gothenburg taxi drivers to stay in revenue service all day.
“This project perfectly describes the automatic electric taxi charging model for all cities that want to implement zero-emission transport as well as the use of passenger vehicles.”
Other partners involved in the wireless charging project include Volvo Car’s Swedish dealer group Volvo Bil, the Sweden-based energy company Vattenfall and its charging network InCharge, the municipal energy company Göteborg Energi and the municipal business development authority Business Region Göteborg.
Momentum Dynamics is a US-based specialist in wireless technology for electric cars.