Renault on Thursday took part in a demonstration of new charging technology that could prove a major boon to electric cars.
The technology, being developed by Qualcomm with help from Renault and Vedecom, a French think tank that promotes future mobility solutions, would enable electric cars to charge their batteries while on the move.
The technology is based on Qualcomm’s Halo wireless charging system which uses resonant magnetic induction to transfer energy wirelessly, from a ground-based pad to a pad integrated in the vehicle.
The demonstration took place outside of Paris on a 100-meter test track fitted with a dynamic wireless electric car charging system. According to the designers, the system can supply 20-kilowatt charging capacity at speeds of 62 mph.
Vehicles on the track can pick up charge in both directions, and in reverse. The system is also planned to offer additional functions such as identifying and authorizing cars entering the charging track, as well as detecting the alignment and speed of the charging car. There’s even the possibility for the system to guide a car, much like a slot car but with a wireless link.
Further testing will now be conducted to evaluate the operation and efficiency of the energy transfer.
