Inductive charging for electric vehicles while driving: a major ecological challenge

Inductive charging is one of the candidate technological solutions for the deployment of the “Electric Road” in France and Europe. It allows electric vehicles to be recharged while driving. The main advantage is the reduction in the size of vehicle batteries while increasing the range of electric vehicles. It is particularly suited to the needs of the logistics sector and long-distance road transport.

Successfull trials

Since a world first in July 2018 as part of the European H2020 project called FABRIC, with two vehicles charging at 20kW while each one is travelling at 100km/h at the same time on a track (American tertiary system), VEDECOM has developed with its partners Renault, Stellantis and EDF, a clean charging technology while travelling by induction at a power of 30kW. The system consists of coils and electronic boxes that must be integrated into the road during its renewal or construction. 30 kW is enough power to recharge a light vehicle on a motorway.

According to the first tests obtained on a test platform, the efficiency obtained is over 90%, which is an excellent rate. Other tests validated compliance with electromagnetic field standards, bearing in mind that the system is secure: induction is only activated when the vehicle passes by and if the communication system recognises and validates the triggering of its recharge. VEDECOM is continuing to develop its system as part of the VERA project (PIA).

Other inductive charging technologies are being tested in Europe, notably the Israeli ElectReon solution: its DWPT (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer) system is being tested on the 1050m Italian “Arena del Futuro” circuit.

INCIT-EV and Use Case 2 – Demonstration of inductive charging while driving in Paris

VEDECOM will test its technology in an urban area, in Paris, in the second half of 2022, as part of the European INCIT-EV project. INCIT-EV aims to test and evaluate seven different charging technologies. With a budget of €18M, it brings together 33 partners from 8 different countries. The objective is to demonstrate the replicability of these solutions, to guarantee interoperability and to provide a decision-making tool to help make the most appropriate choices for the territories. A project focused on the user experience, to INCITE the use of Electric Vehicles. These experiments have a lot at stake for the deployment of electric vehicles.

A promising technology that requires a collective dynamic

Dynamic contactless recharging promises to be one of the most interesting and interoperable recharging solutions: interoperable from one vehicle to another, but also from one supplier to another.

Aesthetic and sustainable, since it is buried underground, it is perfectly suited to urban environments where the constraints of space dedicated to infrastructure are particularly strong and where speed limits are more conducive to charging. Since we drive slower, we stay longer on the track and therefore recharge for longer. This is also the solution that would be the most widely shared: recharging while driving would solve the problem of the inevitable bottlenecks at the charging stations.

The key to progress is both a dialogue among the players and a political strong will.

 

>> More info on INCIT-EV Project