Australia will soon witness a significant advancement in its electric vehicle industry, particularly in the electric truck segment. According to Bloomberg, a new pilot project in the country will test wireless charging technology for heavy-duty vehicles.
Pilot project
Swinburne University’s researchers in Melbourne will pioneer the exploration of wireless charging electric roads in Australia. As per the report, the group plans to install dynamic wireless charging technology into a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) road.
The pilot project is part of the country’s wider strategy to boost its lagging electric vehicle industry. It has a total investment of $5.4 million (A$8.2 million), with the government providing an A$3 million grant.
This ground-breaking project involves German engineering giant Siemens AG, Australian e-truck maker Sea Electric, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
“We’re setting the stage for a transformation in the heavy vehicle industry.”
Medhi Seyedmahmoudian, Project Lead and New-Energy Tech Research Professor at SU
How does it work?
The Swinburne University researchers will employ two coils, one installed beneath the road and one integrated into the vehicle.
The road-installed coils transmit magnetic frequencies to the ones installed in the electric vehicles’ body. It basically charges the battery whenever the car drives or stops on the cutting-edge wireless charging road, owing to the embedded receiver plates under the vehicle.
“In Australia, the landscape is very different because we are a huge country, distances are very large, and dynamic wireless power transfer is something very attractive for the future of transport.”
Medhi Seyedmahmoudian, Project Lead and New-Energy Tech Research Professor at SU
Benefits
The Swinburne project will undoubtedly play a huge role in electrifying heavy-duty electric truck fleets in Australia.
According to Project Leader Seyedmahmoudian, the electrification of electric trucks can potentially enable the Australian government to save A$325 billion by 2050.
“Electrifying heavy vehicles could save Australia A$325 billion by 2050, while contributing to a greener, safer and more efficient transport sector.”
Medhi Seyedmahmoudian, Project Lead and New-Energy Tech Research Professor at SU
Australia is heavily dependent on its trucking industry, with about 241.8 billion tons of freight moving by road in the past year through June 2023. In addition,
road freight volume is projected to increase 77% from 2020 to 2050, surpassing the 6% forecast for rail freight. Therefore, electrifying this particular segment will substantially aid Australia in its efforts to catch up in EV uptake.
“This is really significant for heavy-duty vehicles. The only way we can adapt our communities for these new technologies is to revolutionize our entire electrical systems.”
Medhi Seyedmahmoudian, Project Lead and New-Energy Tech Research Professor at SU
Notably, it is not the first time the world has witnessed pilot testing of wireless charging electric roads. In fact, Sweden reported a successful wireless charging road trial in 2019. It now plans to build the first-ever permanent electric motorway by 2025.
It is indeed a groundbreaking technology that eliminates the need to plug into electric vehicle chargers with hefty cords. It can also potentially solve the leading obstacle impeding the wider shift to electric vehicles: the lack of reliable charging infrastructures.
