E-buses: charging at the bus stop - innovative technology makes stopping at the charging station superfluous

Charging e-vehicles is still a nuisance because of the waiting times.

In the USA, the first e-buses are charged while they are in motion.

A technology known from smartphones makes it possible.

Wenatchee / Washington - Never again have to wait at the charging station until the e-car * is fully charged: What sounds like a dream for many electric car owners is already a reality for some bus drivers in the US state of Washington.

The company Momentum Dynamics has installed the first inductive charging stations for e-buses there.

This means that the buses can be charged while they are on hold - without any charging station or plug.

E-mobility: No more cables and plugs - inductive charging makes it possible

The new charging system works in a similar way to what is already known from smartphone charging cradles. For this purpose, charging pads are integrated in the floor, which enable appropriately equipped vehicles to wirelessly charge the battery with up to 300 kilowatts * when they are held on the pads. For comparison: in Germany, normal e-car charging stations offer an output of up to 22 kilowatts. Fast charging stations also crack 300 kilowatts with us.

There are already four such charging systems in Washington.

Now the manufacturer is planning to set up an entire charging network in the state of California.

An electrical transit network is to be built between Sacramento and San Francisco.

Bob Kacergis, CCO of Momentum Dynamics, sees the project as a model for public transportation systems around the world.

This reports

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E-cars: The new charging technology is also an issue in Germany

In Germany, too, the possibilities of inductive charging are already being intensively researched.

As

reports, scientists are working on charging modules integrated into the asphalt as part of the “eCharge” project.

Here the researchers are striving for a solution that would make it possible to charge cars even while they are driving.

For this purpose, so-called loading corridors with a length of 25 kilometers are to be integrated into motorways.

Another project is currently running in Germany in which inductive charging is already being tested in practice.

A pilot system called TALAKO (taxi charging concept) was launched in Cologne at the end of 2019, which makes wireless charging of electric taxis possible.

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