Skip to main content

London to trial wireless charging

Qualcomm has announced the first wireless electric vehicle charging (WEVC) trial for London in collaboration with the UK Government, as well as the Mayor of London's office and Transport for London (TfL). The pre-commercial trial is expected to start in early 2012 and will involve as many as 50 electric vehicles (EVs) using Qualcomm wireless inductive power transfer technology that enables high-efficiency power transfer across a large air gap. The driver simply parks the vehicle in the usual way and the sys
April 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
5358 Qualcomm has announced the first wireless electric vehicle charging (WEVC) trial for London in collaboration with the UK Government, as well as the Mayor of London's office and 2387 Transport for London (TfL).

The pre-commercial trial is expected to start in early 2012 and will involve as many as 50 electric vehicles (EVs) using Qualcomm wireless inductive power transfer technology that enables high-efficiency power transfer across a large air gap. The driver simply parks the vehicle in the usual way and the system automatically aligns for power transfer, making parking easier and charging hassle free.

The trial, which will be based partially in Tech City, the East London cluster receiving the strong support of the Prime Minister, is planned to leverage the entrepreneurial community there and encourage companies to innovate around services and applications, in order to enhance the smart EV experience.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, "This wireless charging technology is a giant leap forward for the electric car industry and I am delighted that London businesses will be among the first to benefit from the trial. Creative, high-tech advances such as this are extremely important as we work to rebalance our economy, and the decision to trial this at Tech City shows confidence in the UK as an ideal place for innovation and investment."

5356 Addison Lee, the UK's largest minicab company, and 5357 Chargemaster, a leading European operator of advanced EV charging infrastructure, have also agreed to participate in the WEVC London trial.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New batteries could boost EV performance
    January 2, 2013
    Lighter and less costly batteries providing higher power densities could be a major benefit to the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs). At present, the cost and performance of electric car batteries present a barrier to the EV market. But new research in battery technology is suggesting promising alternative solutions. While such batteries will not be available commercially for some years, tests suggest these technologies could meet demands in terms of cost reduction and power density. Batteries using lithiu
  • JCB opens Brazilian factory
    December 3, 2012
    US$32.45 billion of infrastructure improvements are scheduled in Brazil and companies are looking to capitalise on this JCB’s new US$100 million factory in Brazil has been officially opened as the company strengthens its position in rapidly-expanding Latin American markets. At full capacity, the new plant will have the capability to produce 10,000 machines a year, and it replaces two smaller plants in Sorocaba, São Paulo State, the first of which JCB opened in 2001 to produce backhoe loaders, and the second
  • Asecap Days – Istanbul 2023
    February 16, 2024
    The “vast lakes of data” collected daily by global highway operators are going to waste meaning opportunities to improve services and boost revenue are continually lost. This must change, reports Geoff Hadwick from the ASECAP Days 2023 conference in Istanbul.
  • Organisers of Italy’s conjoined Samoter-Asphaltica show are bullish for success
    January 16, 2014
    The organisers of the Samoter construction equipment show being held in the historic Italian city of Verona are bullish for the success of the event. This will be the 29th edition of Samoter, an international triennial exhibition focussing on earthmoving and site machinery. It will also be the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the event, which will also co-host the Asphaltica exhibition for road paving, safety and infrastructures for the first time. Asphaltica is organised in cooperation with Siteb, the