Scania plans to test an electric-hybrid city bus in its hometown of Södertälje in Q3 that will wirelessly charge at specially equipped bus stops using a paired system of magnetic coils embedded beneath the road surface and electro-magnetic induction coils on board the bus.
The project is one part of extensive research by Scania into the different electrification technologies that could one day replace or complement combustion engines. The particular utility in the context of public transport is that it allows buses to recharge each time they stop to pick up passengers.
In tests, a six- or seven-minute stop was sufficient to charge a vehicle’s batteries for its entire route.
“The main purpose of the field test is to evaluate the technology under real-life conditions,” said Nils-Gunnar Vågstedt, who is heading Scania’s research in this field.
He continued: “The change from combustion engines to electrification has an enormous potential. The field test in Södertälje is an initial step towards electric roads where vehicles take up energy from the road surface.”
The project is part of a joint research initiative between Scania and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, with the support of Södertälje Municipality, The Swedish Energy Agency and Stockholm County Council.
Scania is also testing out the idea of using overhead powerlines above motorways to power freight trucks via power-collecting modules mounted on each vehicle’s roof like a conventional tram system.
