Wireless electric car chargers to be installed on Britain’s streets next year meaning owners don’t need to plug in
- Trials of induction pads to take place across London, Midlands and Scotland
- They will be installed in residential streets, car parks and taxi ranks
- Pads are sunk into the ground and pump out an alternating electromagnetic field
- This is converted into electricity when a vehicle is parked on top of it
Owners of electric vehicles will be able to charge their cars wirelessly by the spring, we can exclusively reveal.
Trials of cutting-edge induction pads will take place on residential streets, car parks and taxi ranks across Greater London, the Midlands and Scotland.
The pads, which are sunk into the ground, pump out an alternating electromagnetic field which can be converted into electricity when a vehicle is parked on top.
Wireless car charging from 2020: Connected Kerb will install these wireless charging pads in residential streets, car parks and taxi ranks across London, the Midland and Scotland next year
The technology removes the need for unsightly charging points and cumbersome cables running down the street.
Many existing electric vehicles can be retro-fitted with the technology to enable them to use the wireless chargers, while many models coming out in the coming months will already have the capability built in.
Inventors at British firm Connected Kerb said the wireless induction kit puts Britain at the forefront of electric vehicle charging.
Local authorities are under pressure to install charging points, but the infrastructure has not kept up with demand for electric vehicles.
There are already concerns regarding the shortage of kerb-side plug in points for low-emission cars.
Those that have been installed are vulnerable to vandalism and damage, and residents complain they clutter streets.
Other solutions already being used include lamppost charge points converting existing street lights into plug-in locations and devices that rise out of the ground when an electric car owner needs to boost their vehicle’s batteries on demand.
This new development will be the first wireless charging pad available to private UK car owners.
Connected Kerb, with its partner, Munich-based Magment, expect to begin trialling the chargers in the UK within the next two months, with international deployment from mid-2020.
Connected Kerb chief executive Chris Pateman-Jones said: ‘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.’
The pads, which are sunk into the ground, pump out an alternating electromagnetic field which can be converted into electricity when a vehicle is parked on top
He added: ‘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 EVs 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 EV charge point technology today.’
Mr Pateman-Jones said the wireless hubs were future-proofed and could last significantly longer than plug-in points which are exposed to the elements.
Other companies have promised to bring wireless car charging to the UK, but Connected Kerb is expected to be the first to do so.
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