Volvo is testing a new wireless car charging technology in a real-life setting, hoping to bring to its future range of electric cars.
For this experiment, Volvo has chosen a place in Sweden — Gothenburg Green City Zone, a special area in central Gothenburg with a fully climate-neutral and zero-emissions transportation system. New technology, including Volvo’s wireless car charging system, will be tested within this green zone, aiming to allow this city part to have 100 percent emission-free transport by 2030.
How exactly does Volvo’s wireless technology work? There are several charging stations scattered throughout the Green Zone, where charging pads are embedded into the road surface. The charging starts automatically as soon as a compatible vehicle parks over a charging pad, so drivers don’t need to leave the car.
“Gothenburg Green City Zone lets us try exciting new technologies in a real environment and evaluate them over time for a potential future broader introduction,” said Mats Moberg, head of Research and Development at Volvo Cars. “Testing new charging technologies together with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.”
Volvo testing involve its XC40 Recharge cars with wireless charging power. The car-making company promises the charge will last more than 12 hours a day, allowing to drive 100,000 km per year. Volvo also claims the charging speed is more than 40kW.
Charging pads are supplied by US-based Momentum Dynamics, a specialist in wireless vehicle charging. This is not the first test of wireless car charging, though. BMW has conducted similar wireless charging trials in the UK back 2020.
