The Volvo Group studies potential for dynamic charging for city buses with test electric road
19 May 2014
The Volvo Group, in collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration, will study the potential for building electrified roads on which city buses can be charged inductively at the same time as the bus is in operation (dynamic charging). A 300- to 500-meter electric road may be built for test operations in central Gothenburg during 2015.
The Volvo Group will develop a detailed proposal within the framework of innovation procurement from the Swedish Transport Administration. The proposal entails building a road section equipped with wireless charge technology and developing vehicles that will automatically charge their batteries when passing such a road section.
The road will be built along a suitable bus line in central Gothenburg and be tested for public transport. Experiences from such a test track will provide valuable knowledge for future political and industrial decisions for establishing electric roads.
With the use of an electric road, vehicle batteries would continuously be charged wirelessly during operation by transferring energy from the electricity grid to a vehicle, instead of charging the bus while it is standing still at charging stations.
Vehicles capable of being charged directly from the road during operation could become the next pioneering step in the development towards reduced environmental impact, and this is fully in line with our vision of becoming the world leader in sustainable transport solutions. Close cooperation between society and industry is needed for such a development to be possible and we look forward to investigating the possibilities together with the City of Gothenburg.
—Niklas Gustavsson, Executive Vice President, Corporate Sustainability & Public Affairs of the Volvo Group
For several years, the Volvo Group has been offering hybrid buses with a traditional diesel engine that is supplemented by an electrical engine to reduce CO2 emissions. Three Volvo plug-in-hybrid buses are already in operation in Gothenburg (project Hyper Bus—Hybrid and Plug-in Extended Range Bus), which charge their batteries at the end stations of line 60.
The next stage of development is for these types of buses to be able to charge their batteries while in operation, thus increasing the distance the buses can run on pure electricity.
In 2015, a new bus line, ElectriCity, will become operational between Chalmers and Lindholmen in Gothenburg. This line will also provide additional knowledge of charging technology and electric power for heavy vehicles.
We are working on both a broad and a deep basis to develop the technology of tomorrow. Electric roads are another important part of the puzzle in our aim of achieving transport solutions that will minimize the impact on the environment.
—Niklas Gustavsson
Electric roads are one of the future solution to extend the range of e-buses and other e-vehicles using the same roads-streets.
Will it be competitive with future 5-5-5 batteries or very quick charge wireless or wired stations?
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 May 2014 at 08:16 AM
It should be noted that this study is only one out of four studies done as a collaboration between The transport administration, The Energy Agency and the Agency for Innovation in Sweden and industry concerning wayside power (or ERS - Electric Road Systems).
From these four studies probably two will be chosen to get partial financing of real world demonstration projects. From those demonstrations will come experience both to industry and to government and agencies as how to build and manage systems of this type in the future if everything works out as planned.
The project not mentioned in the article are:
Contactless charging inductively in a different type city with Scania buses. To be carried out just south of Stockholm in a smaller city, -Södertälje.
Contact charging via overhead lines as proposed by Siemens ond Volvo on I710 in Los Angeles in the city of Gävle, Sweden
And last but not least a contact type charging feeding through a milled into the road type system using a pickup from the vehicle. That system will be placed close to the Stockholm airport, Arlanda.
Best regards,
Posted by: Magnus Henke | 29 June 2014 at 10:27 AM