Volvo Car Group has successfully completed a research project on inductive charging for cars and buses on a Volvo C30 Electric car.
The results showed that technology for transferring energy through an electromagnetic field has a great potential.
Initiated by Flanders' Drive, the knowledge center of the automotive industry in Belgium, the project was partly funded by the Flemish government. It featured a consortium of manufacturers including Volvo Car Group, Bombardier Transportation and the coachbuilder Van Hool.
Using an electromagnetic field, the inductive charging transfers energy between two objects. A induction coil creates an alternating electromagnetic field from a charging base station, while a second coil in the portable device converts power from the electromagnetic field into an electrical energy that charges the battery.
Volvo Car Group Electric Propulsion System vice president Lennart Stegland said, "With inductive charging, you simply position the car over a charging device and charging starts automatically.
"We believe that this is one of the factors that can increase the customer's acceptance of electrified vehicles."
Tests demonstrated that Volvo C30 Electric can be fully charged without a power cable in approximately 2.5 hours, the company stated.
