High Efficiency Achieved with Road-to-Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System
ETH Zurich-backed Winduction announced that over 90 percent efficiency has been achieved by wirelessly transferring energy from the road to vehicles, with a pilot application planned for 2028.
Winduction, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, announced that it has achieved over 90 percent efficiency by developing road-to-vehicle wireless power transfer technology. Thanks to this newly developed system, buses are aimed to reach longer ranges with smaller batteries.
Wireless Power Transfer Technology
The spin-off company from ETH Zurich announced that over 90 percent efficiency has been achieved in transferring energy from the road to the vehicle, and this technology will offer longer ranges with smaller batteries. While the distance between the road and the vehicle's underside causes efficiency loss in traditional wireless charging solutions, Winduction overcame this obstacle by placing the receiver coils directly inside the specially manufactured tires of the bus.
Magnetic Field and Tire Solution
The magnetic field created by the coils in the charging plates embedded in the road is captured by the coils inside the tires when the bus stops at a station and is transferred directly to the battery. The biggest technical hurdle facing the technology is the steel belts found in standard bus tires, which interact with the magnetic field and cause heat loss. To solve this problem, the company continues its efforts to develop special tires that contain no steel at all.
Smaller Battery and Cost Advantage
The main goal of the system is to eliminate the need for massive battery packs by allowing buses to be charged for short periods at stops during the day. Thanks to the reduced battery weight, both bus costs will decrease and passenger capacity will increase. Additionally, spreading the charging throughout the day will ease the sudden load on the grid at night.
Pilot Application and Goals
According to the company's calculations, installing this system at only two stops on a 24-stop line in Zurich is sufficient for buses to provide uninterrupted service throughout the day. Having established its testing infrastructure in the Swiss city of Winterthur, Winduction is preparing for real-world field trials on a converted bus. The company aims to launch the first passenger-carrying pilot project in 2028.