Vattenfall starts trials with wireless charging of electric cars in Sweden
Just as mobile phones made the transition from plug-in to wireless charging, electric vehicles seem to be taking the same technical journey.
As part of its efforts to accelerate fossil-free life, waterfall tests wireless induction charging on taxis in Gothenburg.
The tests will assess how a taxi fleet can be charged wirelessly, with payments taken electronically. Charging takes place in two places in the Swedish city and starts automatically when a compatible vehicle parks over a charging plate embedded in the street.
The charging station sends energy through the charging plate which is picked up by a receiver unit in the car. In the car, a vehicle identification makes it possible to send a power of attorney to Vattenfall that summarizes the payment once a month.
Vattenfall’s participation in the tests is part of the company’s broader mission to drive innovation that supports the transition to net zero, a special focus for its R & D.
In addition to induction charging, Vattenfall is also accelerating the UK’s energy transition by making equity, knowledge and expertise available to logistics companies and other UK companies wishing to switch to electric vehicle fleets.
During the offer, known as Power-as-a-ServiceVattenfall will finance, build its own and operate electric car charging hubs on behalf of British companies, which removes the need for companies to use their own financing or own and operate their own private wire networks, making the transition to electric cars as easy as possible.
“At Vattenfall, we always strive to improve user-friendliness and the customer experience. Being able to test new technology in close collaboration between industries and organizations provides great value for future development and to work towards fossil-free housing, says Susanna Hurting, director of E-Mobility.
The induction charging project is an ongoing three-year collaboration with Volvo Carstaxi operator Cabonlinehardware supplier Momentum Dynamics, Gothenburg Energy and the Development Agency Business Region Gothenburg. The project hopes that a pooling of resources will lead to significant breakthroughs, with a consequent long-term impact on electric charging solutions across Europe.
The cars will be used for more than 12 hours a day and drive 100,000 km per year: this is the first durability test of all-electric Volvo cars in a commercial use scenario, which paves the way for future development in this area.
Vattenfall has joined forces with the Dutch nature conservation organization De Rijke Noordzee in a study to find out how nature-inclusive design of turbine foundations can support marine life (click here). In it EcoVadis Sustainability assessments for 2022 increased Vattenfall’s score by nine points to 87.
Ownership of electric cars continues to grow rapidly across Europe. In July 2021, two thirds of Oslo’s residents owned an electric car, and about 45% of customers are considering buying an electric car. However, the charging infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with demand and is now as relevant an issue as “range anxiety”.
McKinsey state governments must offer more incentives and mandates to build private chargers; subsidize public fees in necessary places; work with tools to expand the electricity grid; link incentives and subsidies to the use of green energy; and simplify and standardize permits for charging stations.