{"id":7057,"date":"2020-08-16T12:30:55","date_gmt":"2020-08-16T10:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=7057"},"modified":"2020-08-16T12:30:55","modified_gmt":"2020-08-16T10:30:55","slug":"wireless-electric-car-charging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/08\/16\/wireless-electric-car-charging\/","title":{"rendered":"New wireless electric car charging trial for Nottingham taxis"},"content":{"rendered":"

The city of Nottingham has won a \u00a33.4 million government grant to trial wireless car charging for its taxis. The latest breed of range-extender cabs will be equipped with wireless charging kit so they can top up their batteries without plugging in.<\/p>\n

Induction loops and infrastructure is being installed at selected Nottingham taxi ranks, so cabbies can charge up while they’re waiting for their fare. To begin with, just 10 vehicles will be equipped with the hardware, but the trial could be extended if deemed successful.<\/p>\n

The council hopes it will help reduce urban emissions, cut the tangle of roadside charging cables and accelerate the switch to electrification. The authority is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2028. Read on to understand how wireless car charging works.<\/p>\n

Wireless car charging: an explainer<\/h2>\n

Electric vehicle (EV) range, and more specifically battery size, has developed into an arms race for car makers<\/a>, with new electric cars coming in thick and fast with updated powertrains. Fast-charging is very much on the horizon \u2013 just look at the Porsche Taycan,<\/a>\u00a0for example \u2013 but right now, the longer your range, the better. But\u00a0the real solution to range anxiety could have nothing to do with range at all; it could be solved by wireless charging.<\/p>\n

\"Wireless<\/p>\n

Yes, it’s a sideways step in terms of thinking, but a step forward in terms of ease of use. While we wait for incremental cell improvements and the possibility of solid state tech, companies such as Qualcomm believe wireless charging \u2013 similar to that in modern smartphones \u2013 \u00a0is the magic bullet for range worries.<\/p>\n

It’s not fast by any means, but that’s not the point. Rather than topping up quickly and less frequently, Qualcomm has bet EV charging behaviour will become a constant splash-and-dash process, with wireless charging being the ideal way to do it.<\/p>\n

From garage floors that\u2019ll charge your EV without you lifting a finger, to motorways that can power your car and propel it at the same time, wireless charging opens up a whole new approach to power management. And it might actually work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What is wireless car charging and how does it work?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve bought a high-end smartphone in the past few months, you\u2019ll probably be familiar with wireless charging. Just like it sounds, it\u2019s a simple way of putting charge into your phone without the need for cables \u2013 and Qualcomm\u2019s Halo technology is essentially a scaled-up version.<\/p>\n

It relies on resonant magnetic induction to transfer energy between a pad on the ground, and another under the floor of a compatible EV<\/a>. The charging pad is around a metre square, while the car\u2019s receiving pad is enclosed in a smaller, dinner dish-sized device under the car. Once the two are aligned, charging can take place at 3.3kW, 6.6kW or 20kW speeds.<\/p>\n

Our guide to electric car batteries and tech<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Does it actually work? We tested it to find out<\/h2>\n

Two versions of Qualcomm\u2019s Halo tech are currently fitted to the Formula E Safety Car and Medical car: a constantly developed one on the former, and an early beta version on the latter, just to test the effect of wear and tear.<\/p>\n

At the ePrix in Paris, CAR magazine was shown just how Qualcomm\u2019s wireless charging system works, and it\u2019s actually pretty simple for the user; a smartphone app complete with intuitive graphics made it easy to align both pads. They must be lined up for the system to work.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth mentioning here that while we may see the technology in other cars, it\u2019ll probably be contained in OEM apps or infotainment systems wearing the brand of the manufacturer. This Qualcomm demonstration is what\u2019s currently being shown to car makers, and it\u2019d then be customised and reskinned later down the development process.<\/p>\n

After alignment was complete, charging began once the ignition was switched off. While 20kW isn\u2019t as fast as the ridiculous rapid-charge speeds Porsche, Audi, Tesla and others are quoting, it\u2019s important to remember the use case here is completely different.<\/p>\n

Qualcomm\u2019s Halo tech also comes with some built-in safety features, so if any foreign objects are located between the charging pads, the system will shut off automatically. At that point, the EV owner would be contacted, and asked to secure the connection.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When is wireless car charging coming?<\/h2>\n

Qualcomm is using Formula E to develop and advertise its wireless charging tech, but it\u2019ll be a couple of years before you see Halo on your EV\u2019s spec sheet. Qualcomm licenses the technology instead of manufacturing it, but recent tier two wins mean it should be entering the market via OEMs in around 18 to 24 months from now.<\/p>\n

BMW will begin building its world-first production-ready inductive charging systems in July 2018 \u2013 and it\u2019s set to work with many of the firm\u2019s plug-in hybrid models (PHEVs). It’ll consist of two parts – a Groundpad and a Carpad in BMW parlance – with the former sitting on the ground below your plug-in hybrid and the latter connecting to the car’s electrical backbone.\u00a0BMW<\/a>\u00a0claims a 3.5-hour charge is possible with a charge rate of \u2018up to 3.2kW\u2019, and at around 85% efficiency between the pad and the car.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no indication yet when the tech hits UK BMW showrooms at this point, or indeed how much it\u2019ll cost until market-specific details arrive; we\u2019re told before the end of summer 2018. But BMW sources told CAR magazine that the tech is indeed headed for right-hand drive markets, and will be available exclusively on a leasing deal with a 5-series 530e iPerformance.<\/p>\n

The reason behind the leasing stipulation is a simple matter of economics \u2013 the overwhelming majority of plug-in 5-ers in Western Europe are \u2018owned\u2019 this way, so it stands to reason that the best way of introducing this relatively expensive range anxiety-busting tech is to use the same financing model for this.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And after that?<\/h2>\n

While static wireless charging is the main aim, Qualcomm is already looking to develop the technology further for moving vehicles too \u2013 and that\u2019s where things get even more interesting. Dynamic charging, or charging while in motion, is the next step, and could change how we see EV batteries<\/a> forever.<\/p>\n

If a wireless charging infrastructure<\/a> is able to provide a constant stream of power to an EV, a large battery wouldn\u2019t be needed for most journeys \u2013 just a small one for patchier infrastructure. Qualcomm believes quick charging could still be used, though, and the future will probably see a combination of both rapid wired and wireless charging for EV owners.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dynamic wireless charging tech would probably be easier to implement in urban areas first, so EVs would only need batteries for intercity journeys \u2013 where larger quick charging stations are already planned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Curtis Moldrich<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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The city of Nottingham has won a \u00a33.4 million government grant to trial wireless car charging for its taxis. The latest breed of range-extender cabs will be equipped with wireless charging kit so they can top up their batteries without plugging in. Induction loops and infrastructure is being installed at selected Nottingham taxi ranks, so…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[230],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7059,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions\/7059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}