Swedish automaker Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Geely Holding, said in a press release that the company is testing wireless charging technology for electric vehicles in a live city environment to assess its potential in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The charging stations will offer wireless charging to Volvo XC40 Recharge electric vehicles operated by Cabonline, the largest taxi company in the Nordic region, over the next 3 years.
The test stations make-up one of many projects within Gothenburg Green City Zone strategic initiative, which designates areas for the development of sustainable technologies.
“Gothenburg Green City Zone allows us to try exciting new technologies in a real environment & evaluate them over time for possible wider future introduction,” said Mats Moberg, head of research & development at Volvo Cars. “Testing new charging technologies with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.
The charging stations, provided by Momentum Dynamics, automatically start the charging process when a compatible vehicle parks on charging pads embedded on street, without having to leave the vehicle.
To align vehicles on charging pad, Volvo Cars will use its 360 degree camera system, then energy sent by charging station will be detected by a receiver in the vehicle.
The wireless charging power of the stations will be over 40kW, This makes charging speeds approximately four times faster than an 11kW AC charger and almost as fast as a 50kW DC wired fast charger.
Volvo’s electric vehicles will also tested for durability as the vehicles will-be driven more than 12 hours a day & make an estimated 60,000 miles a year.
Volvo making large strides in electrification & carbon neutrality across its various models & production processes, as the company aims to become an all-electric brand by 2030.
To support its electrification goals, Volvo has started putting the necessary production infrastructure in-place, planning to build a 50 GWh battery plant in Torslanda. Volvo also announced plans to invest $1.09 billion into its Torslanda manufacturing plant to support the mega casting of aluminum body parts, as well as a new battery assembly facility.
We love electric vehicles and would love to see the world get rid of fossil fuels, so keep our fingers crossed & hoping automakers achieve their electrification goals in the near future.
