26 February 2013 - Inspired by new technology that allows smartphone users to recharge their phones without connecting them to a power supply, bus manufactures have been working on a similar technology for recharging electric buses. The manufacturers will put the technology to the test in the German city of Mannheim from next year.
The batteries are charged by induction at ground level, through an electromagnetic field. Systems are installed under the pavement at bus stops, and the receiving system is housed under the floor of the bus. Charging takes just twenty seconds, the time for passengers to get on or off the bus. Recharging works in all weather conditions, even in the snow.
Vehicles are no longer forced to be out of service during regular long hours for recharging. This concept would also avoid the use of trolleybuses and their overhead power lines often considered unsightly by elected officials and their constituents.
|