megatrends

Wireless charging has long been the Holy
Grail for EVs, and although it focuses on CVs,
Momentum Dynamics has also perfected the
technology for light vehicles.
Explaining why he believes wireless charging
makes more sense for fixed route CV
applications than for LVs, Daga said,
“commercial vehicles have the real
problem of heavy duty regular duty
cycles, in which they have six or
seven day week operations that
may run 15, 16 or even 20
hours a day. For an EV to
operate under those
conditions, they need to be
recharged intermittently
during the course of their
route.We provide a
technology that solves that
problem, by allowing that
vehicle to make short period
stops, take enough charge of
power and to continue along its route,
thereby allowing the vehicle to stay in
circulation all day long.”
That may sound ideal but Daga is keen to
emphasise that it’s about more than just
convenience.“The real point is that it is
automatic. The driver of an electric
commercial vehicle or car does not need to
take any action other than park in order to
charge their vehicle.This enables all-weather,
vandal-free opportunity charging. Opportunity
charging is key to both vehicle range
extension and battery lifetime extension -
both crucial aspects that enable OEMs to sell
more EVs.”
Interest in Momentum Dynamics’ technology
“has outstripped our expectations,” says Daga.
“We have major package delivery companies
coming to us asking for a solution.There is no
solution in the plug-in paradigm for a
commercial vehicle.We’ve had a bus company
come to us, and fleets and shuttle bus
companies that run short duration routes,
such as around university campuses.The need
for clean technology in bus routes has been
underestimated by most parties. It is in
demand in universities and it is in demand by
corporations which have programmes that can
be met by no other method.”
The implementation of wireless charging
would of course require embedding the
technology in road surfaces. But rather than
being frowned upon by authorities, Daga says
the company has received positive feedback.
“We have a bus transportation authority in
Pennsylvania that is so eager to deploy this
technology that they have gone to the state of
Q1 2013
Pennsylvania’s department of transportation
and asked for money to help deploy this
system as a trial.They want to see what they
can do to reduce their fuel costs.They’ve tried
all the alternative fuels, but none has satisfied
their needs.This is the first time they have
seen an application that can cut their costs
dramatically, and so they are involving state
authorities in a programme to outlay the
system in the field.” Momentum Dynamics has
also been approached by a rental car company
in California and four major utility companies
keen to get acquainted with the technology.
In terms of a timeframe for the
implementation of wireless charging
technology, Daga sees 2013 as a “big breakout
year” for the deployment of multiple pilot
programmes for passenger class-shuttle buses
across the US; the company is also hoping to
establish a pilot programme in London.
Daga refers to wireless charging as an
emerging technology that is here now. He also
emphasises that opportunity charging
increases range and reduces TCO; he is keen
to dispel what he sees as myths about the
cost of the technology versus wired charging.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” he says.
“It’s less expensive.”
And not only is there a lower cost, says Daga,
but the issues of power and price are closely
linked.“It is not merely the provision of high
power levels to vehicles, like 60 kW to a bus, for
example, but being able to afford it. The cost of
a current generation Level 3 high voltage DC
off-board charger, at about US$75,000, is simply
too high to promote widespread deployment.
We need to deliver - and Momentum Dynamics
will deliver - an inductive charging system at
well under US$10,000.”
Wireless charging on trial
Megatrends
In late December 2012,AMP Electric Vehicles,
which manufactures electric drive systems for
Class 3-6 commercial truck platforms,
announced a joint venture with Momentum
Dynamics to supply the fully electric vehicles
and wireless charging pads for a pilot
programme run by Pennsylvania’s Berks Area
Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA).
The pilot will begin in the first half of 2013.
According to the AMP statement, BARTA is
not only the first major transportation
authority in Pennsylvania to deploy fully
electric vehicles, but it is also the first in the
US to deploy electric paratransit vehicles.
Momentum Dynamics is one of the
organisations funding the project, alongside
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania -
Department of Environmental Protection, and
the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation.
Like Momentum Dynamics, Qualcomm Halo is
involved in trial programmes. In London, it is
collaborating with Chargemaster,Addison Lee,
Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of
London’s office, on the first large scale
wireless electric vehicle charging (WEVC)
consortium.
“We chose London because it is a megacity
and had the will to take steps to clean up the
transport infrastructure. But it’s also to look
at things like user experience, different user
cases, fleet operated vehicles versus car share
versus private vehicles - and to prove that
there is a sustainable business case for
wireless charging and a charging infrastructure.
We invite OEMs to put vehicles into that trial
and test the wireless charging hardware.”
Automotive World Megatrends magazine | www.automotiveworld.com
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