Momentum Dynamics has announced a wireless system that offers the possibility of both high (50-75 kW) and low (7-22 kW) power charging thanks to a “dual power” mode. The company sees this as nothing less than “a major breakthrough with enormous implications for the EV industry”.
The US developer, which specialises in inductive charging systems for electric vehicles, plays less on the maximum charging power than on the effects in practice. Until now, inductive charging systems have only been designed for one purpose – such as wireless charging of low-power cars in the garage at home or charging heavy-duty vehicles with high power. A car designed for home inductive charging with 7 kW cannot use charging plates with higher power until now.
This is to change with the “dual power” mode. According to Momentum Dynamics, a vehicle equipped with such a system should be able to charge “at any location and make optimal use of the available energy”. In other words, in addition to “slow” installations with 7 to 22 kW in one’s own garage or in public car parks, it is also possible to use inductive chargers with high power – which are usually built in public spaces.
The user only has to park his vehicle over the charging pad – the system itself recognises the possible power and controls the charging process accordingly. The company now sees the “decisive advantage” in precisely this communication, which runs automatically in the background, and the flexibility gained in terms of charging power.
“The ability to manage each power level with a single device is a breakthrough that will accelerate the adoption of wireless charging and electric vehicle adoption,” says Andy Daga, CEO of Momentum Dynamics. “This fulfils our vision of providing a ubiquitous and fully automated charging solution where the car is able to charge itself without human intervention. Charging a car or even a truck should be an effortless ‘background’ process that no one thinks about – much like electronic toll collection has become.”
The technical breakthrough, according to the company, is the ability to bring to market a charging system for light commercial vehicles that operates at high efficiency at all power levels from 1 kW to 75 kW (comparable to any plug-in charger) and complies with the same electromagnetic standards that apply to all electrical equipment. In addition, the proprietary technology is also designed for a bidirectional energy flow, which would also make inductive Vehicle2Grid applications possible.
Momentum Dynamics has also been a member of the CCS initiative CharIN since last year. In addition, the US company is the supplier for the inductive charging systems for the Gothenburg fleet trial: there, e-taxis from Volvo are being inductively charged on a test basis.
Keyword: Momentum Dynamics presents inductive charging system with two power classes