Wireless coils underneath the road could repower electric vehicles
A possible solution to the automotive industry’s reliance on fossil fuels is under investigation at the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC) in Greenville.
A series of wireless charging coils are being placed along a corridor connected to the closed runway as a means of charging electric cars on the move, said Jody Bryson, president and CEO of SCTAC.
Electric cars are limited by their need to access charging stations, Bryson said. If that access were provided via wireless coils installed in American roads, the mass production of electric vehicles would become more feasible for carmakers.
Because wireless charging coils is a long-term dream at this point, hybrid technology is just as important as full-electric vehicles, Bryson said. “The hybrid bridges the gap between the gasoline vehicle and the electric vehicle.”
Dr. Joachim Taiber, principal investigator and project leader for the U.S. Department of Energy, said wireless charging technology would likely arrive in urban areas first. Once a significant number of electrified vehicles hit the road, “it would make sense to consider the technology’s application along highways to support longer-range zero-emission transportation.”
Using a $12 million grant from the Department of Energy, Taiber said he would address the full spectrum of electrified vehicles from hybrids and plug-ins to full electric vehicles.
Both conductive and inductive charging infrastructures will be used at the SCTAC test facility, he said. The testing area will soon expand to include an on-site urban testing facility and a portion of I-185 for highway testing.
Taiber said communication technology would be key to controlling the energy flow efficiently. In addition to repowering vehicles, the wireless network at SCTAC can also be used for crash avoidance and cloud-based services, he said.
