Vattenfall is testing wireless induction charging of taxis in Gothenburg, using electronic payments the charging starts automatically when a compatible vehicle parks over a charging pad embedded in the street.

The charging station sends energy through the charging pad, which is picked up by a receiver unit in the car. In the car a vehicle identifier makes it possible to send an authorisation to Vattenfall.

The induction charging project is an ongoing three-year collaboration with Volvo Cars, taxi operator Cabonline, hardware supplier Momentum Dynamics, Göteborg Energi and the development agency Business Region Gothenburg. The project hopes that pooling resources will lead to significant breakthroughs, with consequent long-term impact on electrical charging solutions across Europe.

The cars will be used for more than 12 hours a day and drive 100,000 km per year: this is the first durability test of fully electric Volvo cars in a commercial usage scenario, paving the way for future developments in this field.

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