Wireless charging for e-buses in commercial operation
Charging a car’s traction battery without having to fuss with a heavy cable: That is the promise of wireless charging. The US company Witricity, which is considered one of the technology leaders in wireless charging, has now implemented its technology for buses.
To do this, it is working with the Chinese company YuTong. This is the first commercial application of wireless charging for an electric bus – YuTong’s autonomously driving minibus Xiaoyu 2.0. The bus operates at SAE level 4, seats ten passengers and has a range of 150 km. Witricity did not provide any information about the transmission power,
The Witricity Halo chargers simplify charging by eliminating the need for a wall socket or wallbox. This is particularly important for public transport applications, where the heavy and cumbersome cables can lead to slips and falls, the main cause of compensation claims by professional drivers. With the global increase in applications for autonomous shuttles and buses, wireless charging will play a key role in keeping these vehicles on the road, the two collaboration partners believe.
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Witricity has already deployed its magnetic resonance technology-based wireless charging for electric vehicles in FAW’s HongQi and Genesis’ GV60 passenger vehicles. Studies are also underway forTaxis, showing the use of wireless charging in queues to provide taxis with “power snacks” while they wait for the next passenger. With the Yutong buses, wireless charging is being demonstrated for the first time with autonomous commercial vehicles.
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