VOLVO has just completed a research project looking into the feasibility of cordless charging for electric cars.
The scheme studied the possibilities of inductive charging for electric vehicles, with the results showing that the technology for transferring energy via an electromagnetic field has a promising future.
The process uses an electromagnetic field instead of a cord to transfer energy between two objects – in this case the charging platform and the car’s battery.
This technology is common in household electrical appliances such as electric toothbrushes and kettles, but is not yet commercially available on electric cars.
Lennart Stegland, Volvo’s Vice President for electric propulsion, said: “With inductive charging you simply position the car over a charging device and charging starts automatically. We believe that this is one of the factors that can increase the customer’s acceptance of electrified vehicles.”
The tests that Volvo has undertaken has shown that the brand’s Volvo C30 Electric can be charged fully from flat without a cable in just 2.5 hours. The completed research project included inductive charging for cars and buses and was deemed a massive success.