Recharging an electric car while driving isn’t just a pipe dream.
Manufacturers are testing dynamic recharging technologies for long drives, using smaller batteries with fewer rare metals. VIDEOGRAPHIC
Manufacturers are testing dynamic recharging technologies for long drives, using smaller batteries with fewer rare metals. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00Recharging an electric car while driving isn't just a pipe dream.
00:10Manufacturers are testing dynamic recharging technologies for long drives
00:14using smaller batteries with fewer rare metals. There are three possible solutions.
00:18The first is inductive car charging, which allows contactless wireless
00:22charging. Coils powered by electrical cables are buried in the ground, which
00:26then functions as an induction plate. As the vehicle passes, the coil is
00:30energized and emits an electromagnetic field. Another coil fixed beneath the
00:35vehicle receives this magnetic field and converts it into energy. Currently, this
00:39energy system is not very powerful and it is costly. The risks of exposing users
00:44to magnetic fields are also poorly understood. The second is ground-based
00:48conductive charging. This uses rail segments inserted in road surfaces,
00:53including some hollow segments. The rail receives its power by vehicles fit with
00:58friction pads or lugs in the case of hollow rails. If there is an accident, the
01:03pads retract automatically. This conductive rail system requires major
01:07road work and the rail can get clogged, posing problems for two-wheeled
01:12vehicles. The third is overhead conduction. This solution is inspired by
01:16trains and uses catenaries, which are electrical lines suspended from pylons. A
01:22device known as a pantograph on the roof of the vehicle engages when it
01:26detects a catenary and supplies the vehicle with energy. This powerful
01:30solution is designed for trucks due to the necessary height of the overhead
01:34lines, which are fragile and sensitive to heat.