After months of testing at the “Arena del Futuro” circuit, Stellantis, has demonstrated the capability of Dynamic Wireless Power transfer (DWPT) technology to wirelessly recharge electric vehicles (EVs) as they drive over specially equipped lanes.
DWPT is a system of coils positioned under the surface that transfers energy directly to cars, trucks and buses without the need to stop at charging stations to recharge the battery. The technology can be adapted for all vehicles equipped with a special receiver which transfers energy from the road directly to the electric motor while conserving the vehicle battery charge.
The project demonstrated that a BEV like the100% electric Fiat 500 outfitted to test the system, can travel at typical highway speeds without consuming the energy stored in its battery.
“Arena del Futuro” is powered by direct current (DC), which offers several advantages, including: Reducing the power lost in the energy distribution process; Guaranteeing a direct integration with renewable energy sources without the need to convert DC into AC; Allowing the use of thinner cables than the AC current distribution with evident advantages in terms of packaging, weight and harmonic pollution; and,
DWPT is one of the technologies intended to simplify the customer approach to electric mobility and ultimately to respond in a tangible way to the requirements for decarbonization and environmental sustainability in the mobility sector. Time magazine cited in-road inductive charging system behind “Arena del Futuro” as one of the 100 most important inventions of 2021.
