Washington Transit Agency Getting 10 Electric Buses & Wireless Charging

A few days ago, I wrote an article titled “High-Powered Wireless EV Charging — Is It Finally Time?” The article centered around the news that Jaguar I-PACE electric taxis in Oslo, Norway, would be using Momentum Dynamics wireless charging tech to potentially keep the taxis in service 24/7. We also have news this week of 10 new BYD electric buses headed to Link Transit in Wenatchee, Washington, and being equipped with Momentum Dynamics wireless charging tech.

10 of BYD’s fully electric K9S buses have already arrived in Wenatchee — 8 before the COVID-19 crisis hit and 2 more recently. “We’ve been operating the first eight since mid-March and they have been a huge help to our system,” said Richard DeRock, General Manager of Link Transit. “They have far exceeded our expectations with their performance.”

The two 35-ft electric buses recently delivered were the first two BYD buses manufactured at BYD’s factory in Lancaster, California, since the coronavirus pandemic arrived. They each have a range of 215 miles on a full charge and seat up to 32 people. The buses can be fully charged in 3 to 4 hours. However, with on-route wireless charging via Momentum Dynamics, they’d basically never need to be charged from or near empty.

“This increases the range of the bus to allow for virtually perpetual usage,” the press release stated.

Interestingly, this is not even Link Transit’s first BYD–Momentum Dynamics team-up with wireless charging. “In 2018, Link Transit commissioned the nation’s first 200-kilowatt wireless charging system for a battery-electric transit bus from Momentum Dynamics. The system has been operational on a BYD K9S bus since then.” That trial must have been seen as going very well to order 10 more buses of the same sort with the same wireless charging.

As part of the new deal, Momentum Dynamics is adding 3 more wireless charging stations along Link Transit routes — 300 kW each. The original partnership had a 200 kW wireless charging station installed. “Because of its modular design, Momentum’s system is highly efficient in terms of both energy utilization and the number of chargers required,” a separate press release stated. “Each module, or pad, is rated at 75kW. By specifying multiple pads, vehicles can be rated up to 300-450 kW per bus.”

It seems that Momentum Dynamics is on a roll.

Top image courtesy BYD (screenshot of video)