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Park & Charge: High-Power Inductive Wireless Charging Set to Power Electric Trucks in Cold Climates
WAVE Charging (Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification) has been in the process of developing a 500 kW ultra-fast wireless charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) and has reported that it has fully charged a class 8 electric truck in less than 15 minutes. The subsidiary of Ideanomics—a global EV company focused on driving EV adoption—developed this charging system in concert with Cummins and the U.S. Department of Energy. The idea of the fast wireless charger is to create a way where fleet operators can realize continuous EV uptime during shifts. Here's how it works: Embedded into the road surface, the wireless system charges the truck batteries quickly during regularly scheduled stops, all without the need to handle charging cables. Since it charges so quickly, charging can occur within the vehicle's duty cycle.
The pavement-embedded systems have no moving parts, creating low maintenance and high availability. Unlike plug-in charging systems, these wireless systems are flush to the ground to reduce the risk of collisions with vehicles in an already busy and congested area.
The company stated that in theory, the charger could supply a day's worth of energy to a home in just 3.6 minutes or provide a full day's worth of energy to 400 homes. Its wireless transmission can also match the same level of efficiency as wired charging.
“We're demonstrating that electric heavy-duty vehicles can operate continuously, recharging during their regular operations. The advantages of this technology are evident: fleet operators enhance efficiency by eliminating vehicle downtime spent refueling or connecting to a central depot," said Robin Mackie, COO of Ideanomics, WAVE’s parent company.
The charging system has already had multiple deployments across mass transit, ports, and logistics and WAVE has continued development work to get it ready for cold weather deployment. The company plans to deploy and demonstrate the wireless inductive charger at a Venture Logistics facility—a privately-held, full-service logistics company—in the Midwest by having it move cargo. As part of the initial project, the 500 kW system will power two Class 8 electric trucks. They currently have planned deployment for Q1 2024.
The joint project is supported by an $8.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop innovative high-power wireless charging systems that will help operators easily meet zero-emission goals with a low impact on operations to improve the air quality in and around ports, warehouses, and distribution centers.
Additionally, the demonstration project with Venture Logistics is an example of how high-power wireless charging can eliminate the need for operators to handle heavy, high-power charging cables in cold climates where ice and snow create challenging transportation environments.
“Our demonstration project with Venture Logistics will show that for medium and heavy-duty vehicles that demand perpetual operations and require charging infrastructure, wireless charging is the most effective solution at scale,” said Robin Mackie.
WAVE says that wireless charging is the ideal solution for any fleet operator that has vehicles moving on a fixed route. This type of system will help keep vehicles powered up during scheduled stops, even across challenging weather conditions. Additionally, it allows for smaller batteries and fewer chargers, resulting in reduced vehicle weight and costs.
Founded in 2011, with systems available from 125 kW through to ultra-high power, WAVE delivers made-in-America wireless EV charging systems for the commercial fleet sector. With a number of high-power proven inductive charging systems deployed, WAVE provides fleet operators with a faster, easier, and future-proof way to extend the range of medium and heavy-duty EVs without the hassle and inefficiency of operations experienced with with with cable and pantograph charging systems. Learn more at www.waveipt.com.
