London: Home of 1st Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging Trial

Pushing the introduction of electric cars was always going to require easier methods of charging, and a new trial initiated by Qualcomm Incorporated will make London the home of the first Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) trial.

The pre-commercial trial is expected to start early 2012 and will see Qualcomm collaborating with the UK Government, the Mayor of London’s office, and Transport for London to bring as many as 50 electric vehicles to the trial.

The trial will use Qualcomm wireless inductive power transfer technology that, according to Qualcomm, “enables high-efficiency power transfer across a large air gap.”

“It is very easy to use: the driver simply parks the vehicle in the usual way and the system automatically aligns for power transfer, making parking easier and charging hassle free.”

“This wireless charging technology is a giant leap forward for the electric car industry and I am delighted that London businesses will be among the first to benefit from the trial,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron. “Creative, high-tech advances such as this are extremely important as we work to rebalance our economy, and the decision to trial this at Tech City shows confidence in the UK as an ideal place for innovation and investment.”

“This trial is a great example of how vehicle recharging could work in the future. This private sector investment shows how innovative solutions will help ensure electric cars are a real option for motorists,” said Justine Greening, secretary of state for transport. “This project supplements the £30 million Government fund to kick-start installation of recharging points in eight areas across the country.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said, “In my quest to deliver cleaner air for the capital, I want London to be the electric car epicenter of Europe. Encouraging a massive uptake in electric driving is key to this vision of becoming a zero-emission city. We are already on this path with Transport for London delivering a citywide charging network, but we need to go further. This trial is an innovative new facet of my plans, with the promise to help drivers go electric with even greater confidence.”

The trial is going to see itself take place primarily in Tech City, in East London, in an attempt to make the most of the entrepreneurial mindset of the region, and will be overseen by representatives from Transport for London, the Mayor’s office, and central Government. The trial is open to any and all companies that wish to participate; companies should register their interest at www.wevc.com.

Source: Qualcomm
Image Source: Frank Hebbert

Tags: London, Qualcomm, trial, UK, WEVC, wireless, wireless charging, wireless electric vehicle charging, wireless ev charging

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Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

Breath on the Wind

An interesting article, but it is missing some essential details about the wireless technology. There are several providers of Wireless charging equipment. Some use inductive energy transfer similar to what was used in the EV1 charging padals and others use a resonant inductive energy transfer that was promoted by N. Tesla.

Some readers may also be more familiar with Holo IPT a former UK wireless charging company that was recently purchased by the well funded wireless communications company, Qualcomm.
Anonymous

Wireless charging is a bit less efficient, but its convenience is likely to make people move much faster to EVs. The bit of power we lose to wireless is going to be nothing compared to the power we save by getting off oil.

Wireless can lose 10% of the electricity used. For a Nissan Leaf that would mean an extra 0.035kWh per mile. At ten cents per kWh, an additional cost of a third of a penny per mile.

When the technology is fully in place one will be able to be guided to an available parking spot with charging. The driver will simply park. The car will signal how much charge is wanted and the billing info. In places where charging spots are tight, the driver will get a phone message a few minutes before charging is complete so that they can move their car and free up the charger for another driver.

Chargers embedded in parking spots will minimize vandalism and theft problems. Keep maintenance to a bare minimum. Home charging spots will mean that you simply drive home and park in the correct spot.

There’s nothing not to love.

Unless you’re in the oil business….