So, we did see Volvo work on a self-parking car recently, and here we are with word that the Swedish car manufacturer is currently working alongside a bunch of like-minded partners to work on the issue of dynamic, wireless recharging technology for vehicles of the future. So much so that Volvo has been testing out an in-road charging system within vicinity of its Gothenburg headquarters ever since the fall of 2012. The other partners to walk alongside Volvo in this ambitious project would be Alstom, the Swedish Energy Agency, Swedish Transport Administration and a number of universities, where they have pooled their minds and resources together to construct a quarter-mile-long track just for such testing purposes, where it includes a “current collector” on the testing trucks.
Could the idea of in-road dynamic recharging be the final solution for electric powered vehicles so that they can travel for long distances without requiring constant stops every couple of hundred miles to recharge, and not only that, it would also help reduce the size of the batteries required? Only time will tell, but can you imagine the amount of infrastructure rework that is required if all roads were to eventually implement such a system? The cost would be enormous to say the least, and governments might even balk at the final bill.
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