Greentech Lead U.S: Utah State University has
demonstrated a first-of-its-kind electric bus that is charged through wireless
charging technology.
The Aggie Bus rolled onto the streets carrying passengers
today; just 16 months after USU demonstrated the first high-power, high-efficiency
wireless power transfer system capable of transferring enough energy to quickly
charge an electric vehicle.
In July 2011, the USU Research Foundation
demonstrated 90 percent electrical transfer efficiency of five kilowatts over
an air gap of 10 inches. The demonstration validated that electric
vehicles can efficiently be charged with wireless technology.
USU’s Aggie Bus has achieved several significant
milestones. It is the first bus developed and designed by a North American
organization that is charged with wireless power transfer technology and is the
world’s first electric bus with WPT technology combining the three following
performance metrics: A power level up to 25 kilowatts, greater than 90
percent efficiency from the power grid to the battery and a maximum
misalignment of up to six inches.
The wireless power transfer technology incorporated in
the bus delivers a multitude of benefits to consumers that include greater
reliability due to no moving parts or cords, added convenience through the
elimination of plug-in charging, the assurance of safety by removing the risk
of electrocution and aesthetically pleasing devices as a result of no visible
wiring.
WAVE, a Utah State University spin-out
company, worked in cooperation with the USTAR Advanced Transportation Institute
to develop the Aggie Bus. WAVE, in partnership with the Utah Transit
Authority, will launch its first commercial demonstration in mid-2013 on
the University of Utah’s campus. It will feature a 40-foot transit bus on
a public transit route and an increase in wireless power transfer charging from
25 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts.
The project has been funded by a $2.7
million TIGGER grant from the Federal Transit Administration and
the University of Utah which purchased the bus. WAVE intends to
deliver a commercially ready product that operates with the same reliability as
current public transit bus options, including diesel and compressed natural gas
buses.
“Current battery limitations prevent an all-electric
transit bus from operating all day from an overnight charge. WAVE solves
that problem by charging the bus wirelessly during its daily operations when
the bus stops to load and off-load passengers,” said Wesley Smith,
CEO of WAVE. “This technology makes electric buses competitive with
their diesel hybrid and CNG counterparts.”