Wireless or on-the-go charging, the future of electric mobility is in Zaragoza

Circe and the Zaragoza City Council have presented various new developments in the electric charging of vehicles

Vanesa Aso Martín Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 10:31

Electric vehicles that charge wirelessly or even while moving. What now seems like something far from our reality is closer than we think and, in fact, is in Zaragoza. The Circe Technology Centre is behind this revolutionary technology that could arrive in the Aragonese capital in a few years.

Funded by the European Commission with 18 million euros and by the Zaragoza City Council with 3 million euros, the Incit-Ev project , behind which Circe is involved, is achieving great results in terms of electric mobility. Among the main innovations, a wireless electric charger that could very soon reach taxi ranks.

“In 10 minutes it can be recharged to achieve an extra 50 kilometres of autonomy. This means that the vehicle needs less battery power and can therefore be cheaper and the entire cycle is optimised,” explained the director of Circe, Andrés Llombart . Specifically, this method can be used thanks to a refrigerated transmitter coil on the ground. When parking on it, the vehicles that park on it will start to charge. “It can be used not only for taxis, but also for cleaning or garbage trucks at night ,” he added.

Cars will need to install a system under the car to be able to use wireless charging

Along with this charging method, the other major innovation, somewhat more distant, is dynamic charging. This will allow charging on the road as long as the travel speed is below 130 kilometres per hour. This will be possible thanks to the installation of a cable under the asphalt , allowing for a reduction in downtime and operating costs.

BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING, ANOTHER NOVELTY

Another key innovation of the project is the development of a bi-directional inductive charging system, installed outside Mobility City at the Expo. This technology allows electric vehicles to not only recharge energy wirelessly, but also to act as mobile energy storage units, exchanging electricity with buildings and renewable energy sources.

With a capacity of up to 25 kW, this solution contributes to balancing energy demand, supporting the stability of the electrical grid and creating new opportunities for the integration of renewable energies in the city.

“Zaragoza is a city that is committed to the future of sustainable mobility, open to being a space in which to test new technologies that, in the near future, will become elements of daily use for everyone,” said the Minister of Environment and Mobility, Tatiana Gaudes. In this sense, she added, ” Circe is a strategic partner and it is always a source of pride and a guarantee to work with them on this type of project.”