There have been some unique and innovative ideas tossed around as we inch closer towards the electrification of vehicles – and this one is definitely up there with the best of them.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has deployed a prototype implementation of an online electric vehicle (OLEV) technology. This picks up electricity from power cables that are buried underground using a non-contact magnetic charging method.
According to KAIST, it’s an important development towards the commercialisation of electric vehicles and its demonstrator has replaced a trackless combustion engine train running inside Seoul Grand Park.
So how does it work?
The equipment installed underneath the vehicle collects electricity from a roadway and distributes it either to operate the vehicle or for battery storage. This means that whether the vehicle is running or stopped it is constantly receiving electric power from the underground cables and so there is no need to fit the vehicles with large battery packs – in fact the online electric vehicles use batteries that are one-fifth of the size of those installed in electric vehicles that are currently on the market.
The road with the recharging strips is divided into several segments so when a car drives on a certain segment a sensor is turned on and it can pick up the electricity. According to research, if it was applied to the public bus system in South Korea, the power lines would need to be installed on only 20 per cent of the bus route – such as at bus stops, intersections and in car parks.
KAIST has already submitted more than 120 applications for patent rights to develop online electric vehicles and has established a road map for research and development with the aim to reach commercialisation by 2013.
