MAR 10

Toyota's heavy duty division, Hino, is testing a new kind of plug-in hybrd...one without a plug. The batteries on the hybrid assist and even sometimes take over for the diesel engine. But the energy in the batteries doesn't come from a plug, it comes from a wireless charging system built into the road.

That's pretty frikkin' cool, but it's also a recipe for inefficiency. A series of induction coils built into the road resonate energy at certain frequency, like radio waves. The bus is able to capture those waves and store the energy in its batteries. This allows the bus to continue its route all day long, never having to stop for charges, while operating on a much greater percentage of grid power than could otherwise be stored in its batteries.

Unfortunately, transferring electricity wirelessly is invariably inefficient. Generally less than half of the energy transmitted actually gets picked up by the receiver. This would likely tilt the carbon equation in favor of the diesel engine, rather than the grid.

Nonetheless, it is a very cool idea. We hope to see it develop, and we also hope to see some official efficiency numbers and charge times from Hino in the near future. But just imagine...an electric car-only lane where you drive while your vehicle pulls power from the grid. Never stopping for gas again, watching the bill tick up on your heads-up display cent by cent as you pull energy wirelessly from an all-renewable, fusion-powered grid...

I love the future.

Via Carectomy

Comments (7)

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Solar is the answer
written by Dr. Al, March 10, 2008

Like the Israeli plan to electrify the highway, this is an inefficient and potentially dangerous method of generating electricity. With 40 efficient solar cells now available- solar is clearly the answer. My design, seen at http://www.physicslablh.com/futureDesign.htm , takes free sunlight as the most efficient energy source.

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written by paolo, March 11, 2008

tram overhead power lines can be used with a retractable pickup - think a hybrid tram/bus that runs and charges on the overhead line,,, and then retracts the pick-up and has a certain off-grid range (which wouldn't need to be as great as a plug-in, making battery systems cheaper.)

cities with existing overhead-powerline tram systems could implement electric buses very easily.

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Wireless power 95% efficiency
written by Paul, March 13, 2008

Wireless power transmission has been demonstrated as long ago as the 70's to be up to 95% efficiency.

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written by RhapsodyInGlue, March 13, 2008

I suspect that something might have been lost in translation. From a technical standpoint one could envision a wireless charging system that would work with a moving vehicle, but I believe this system is probably based on wireless chargers at each of the bus stops rather than along it's entire route. I suspect that not only from a technical/cost perspective, but also that I think I remember reading about this system a year or so ago.

If that is true, then it would be more efficient to have a retractable pantograph and overhead contacts at each stop. I'm sure an automated system could be engineered that would allow for slight variations in the bus position.

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written by stanton eells, April 05, 2008

If the road was surfaced with solar cells (there is one that uses concrete instead of silicon for its base and can be used any were concrete can)then the whole road could produce power for the transmiters.

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CEO corp. electric officer
written by Sun E man, December 07, 2008

A 100% all electric hybrid vehicle. Yes: electric/electric or EEV is coming soon to your nearest highway. All EV's will reach full potential when they have acheived unlimited range. That will occur when they become three dimesional having the ability to use the sun, the grid and regeneration. Wireless technology such as radio waves, radar bands, and electrical waves have been around since Telsa invented them centuries ago. Today wireless electricity offers the greatest opportunity at the least cost, especially when coupled with a solar/grid backed system. Even inefficent tracking 200 watt 2x4ft PV panels laid end to end a mile long placed on top of road dividers would produce 236,000 watts an hour (23.6 KW). Stetched from coast to coast they could produce thousands of megawatts of electricity to provide energy for housing and transportation, While we await the perfection of wireless electrified highways, a simple spring loaded flexable, retractable, electrically loaded arm or cord running along the top or side of divider, could be automatically attatched by a control inside the vehicle.

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Rotary Inductive ground level charger pads
written by solar steve, May 16, 2010

The wireless bus charger above with it's "inground inductive coils," is very inefficient, and the technology is outdated. Our technology solves all the inefficiency losses both as a stationary and a rotary device which suplants the solid state wireless inductive charging (coils), using our rotary based electromagentic indction coils which is not concealed and is above ground called a "rotary based inductive charger pad" come see us at (www.iportzinc.com) Our chargers are up to 1 Megwatt in power output, and recharges EV batteries Iductively using "running capacacitor banks in combination with our axial flux palnar rotary generators. Watch Japan copy my inventions and claim my methods of use as their uses as their own. Totoyate is already copying my slar carport inventions which they will use for their EV Electric Vehicle charging stations.

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