Electric vehicle owners could soon benefit from wireless charging infrastructure, with trials of the technology set to begin this spring.
Using a system developed by the British firm Connected Kerb, electric cars can simply be parked over wireless induction pads in order to recharge – removing the need for ‘unsightly’ charging points.
Connected Kerb is piloting the induction pads across residential streets, car parks and taxi ranks in the UK during the first half of 2020.
The firm says the wireless induction kit puts the UK at the forefront of electric vehicle charging – adding the move will ‘spell the end of cumbersome cables’.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “Induction charging will become the norm over the coming few years, and for good reason. It’s comparable in performance to traditional charging, however, it’s more convenient and even more simple.
“Also, induction opens up electric vehicles for disabled people, who are currently excluded from electric vehicles by trailing cables and accessibility.
“Longer term, induction charging will be the path to electrification of all parking bays without the street furniture and cable clutter that dominates electric vehicle charge point technology today.”
Electric vehicle charging causing ‘headaches’ for local authorities
The number of electric vehicles on UK roads is increasing year-on-year.
Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) earlier this month show there were 34,734 new plug-in electric vehicles registered in 2019 – in addition to 37,850 new battery electric vehicles.
However, Connected Kerb says the roll out of charging points for electric vehicles has caused headaches for local authorities – as they fail to keep up with demand.
The firm says there is a shortage of kerb-side plug in points – adding the existing design is both vulnerable to vandalism and visually intrusive.
Mr Pateman-Jones says the wireless hubs are future-proofed and could last significantly longer, relative to the plug-in points that are exposed to the elements and rely on cables.
He added: “Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly including induction charging technology in their new models but at present there are only a handful of induction-enabled electric vehicle charge points. We aim to change that.”
We should also remember that no-one has a right to park on the highway. Furthermore, we allocate space to specific users in a variety of ways – residents’ parking for those prepared to pay, disabled parking for those with specific needs, taxi ranks and bus stops for those particular enterprises and their customers. Not forgetting clean air zones which divide vehicle owners into those who have a compliant vehicle and those who don’t. Naturally there is a sensitivity about reducing the general opportunity to park but this is so with all sorts of other initiatives, introduction of pedestrian crossings, cycling facilities etc and Local Authorities are generally happy to consider the bigger picture, putting issues like air quality and climate change ahead of convenience.
Interestingly, while the article extols the virtue of induction charging rather than charging stations with cables, it doesn’t appear to touch on the health issues involved which, so I understand, still give cause for concern.
Tim, West Midlands
+1
Pat
Perhaps we should consider that any divisions between the have e-cars and have not e-cars are insignificant compared to the divisions we already impose between have cars and have not cars.
Rod King, Lymm
--1
Residential on street parking spaces are normally available to all, regardless of the power source of the vehicle . I don’t anticipate that the majority of Local Authorities will be keen to start prioritising precious parking spaces just for EVs. That would open up divisions between the haves and have nots.
Pat, Wales
+7