No plug required: Volvo tests WIRELESS charging technology so drivers can park electric cars over street areas to increase battery life
- A Volvo XC40 Recharge taxi is currently being tested in Gothenburg
- Compatible vehicles stop above the charging pads built into the road
- The energy is sent through the charging pad to a receiver on the underside of the car
- The tests will help Volvo better understand whether the technology can be used in future electric vehicles
Swedish carmaker Volvo has begun testing wireless urban charging technology live for future electric cars.
Compatible vehicles stop above the charging pads that are built into the road, which means that owners of electric vehicles (EVs) do not have to get out of the car to charge the batteries.
The three-year trial uses a small fleet of fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge SUVs that will be able to access wireless charging stations in the country’s second largest city, Gothenburg.
No need for a plug: Volvo has started testing WIRELESS charging technology so drivers can park above a roadway that sends electricity to the batteries
Each charging session starts automatically when a compatible vehicle parks above the blue square charging pads installed on the street at special stations in the Swedish city.
The charging station sends energy through the charging pad, which is captured by a receiver located under the car near the front axle.
To help drivers easily align their zero-emission SUVs with the padding, they can use the car’s 360-degree camera system, which provides a top view so they can line up exactly with the device.
For XC40 Recharge all-electric cars, the wireless charging power will be more than 40 kW, which makes charging speeds about four times faster than a wired 11 kW AC charger and almost as fast as a wired charger with 50 kW DC.
In total, Volvo cars will be used for more than 12 hours a day and will cover 100,000 km (62,000 miles) per year, which is also the first endurance test of Volvo’s fully electric cars in a commercial use scenario.
Compatible XC40 Recharge taxis stop over these blue charging pads built into the path of special charging stations in Gothenburg
Drivers can use the car’s 360-degree camera system, which provides a top view, so they can line up exactly with the device.
The charging station sends energy through the charging pad, which is captured by a receiver located under the car near the front axle. Charging power will be more than 40 kW
The wireless charging test is one of a number of environmental projects involved in Gothenburg’s green zone.
Commenting on the test, Mats Moberg, head of R&D at Volvo Cars, said: “The Gothenburg Green City area allows us to try exciting new technologies in a real environment and evaluate them over time for potential future wider deployment.
“Testing new charging technologies with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.”
Volvo plays a key role in the Gothenburg Green City Zone initiative, which aims to achieve zero-emission transport by 2030.
“Using a real city as a test site will allow the company to accelerate the development of technologies and services in the field of electrification, shared mobility, autonomous driving, connectivity and safety,” said the Swedish carmaker.
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