The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has been commissioned by the Highways Agency to undertake a feasibility study into whether Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology can be used on England’s motorways and major A roads to prepare for greater electric vehicle (EV) take-up.
The feasibility study is the first part in a much larger programme of research and trialling for dynamic WPT technology to be undertaken in the UK.
The purpose of the feasibility study is to identify at least two “near market dynamic WPT technologies from around the world” that could be suitable to trial in future stages of the programme.
Based on the findings, and a programme of stakeholder engagement, TRL will then investigate possible business cases for the introduction of the technology, and whether a “desired cost benefit ratio can be achieved”.
TRL says that while the focus of the study is on implementing dynamic WPT technology, the “possibility of extending the use of equipped vehicles to static WPT applications for origin/destination charging will also be considered”.
The feasibility study is scheduled to be completed in spring 2015 and may be followed by a set of off-road trials, subject to the results of the study.
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