Israeli company Electreon Wireless, which develops and implements wireless charging technologies for electric roads, has expanded its European footprint by partnering with publicly traded German electric mobility giant EnBW to build the first wireless electric road (ERS) in Germany. With COVID increasing the growing trend of green infrastructure investments, the first stage of the project is set to be commissioned this year, ahead of schedule.
This will be Electreon’s third wireless charging project for shuttles, after Tel Aviv and Sweden. EnBW is one of Germany's largest energy companies and a major electric mobility provider, it enables electric car drivers to access the largest charging network in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with more than 30,000 charging points. EnBW operates the largest rapid charging network in Germany and is consistently expanding it. By the beginning of 2021, EnBW envisions to establish 1,000 fast-charging locations nationwide, thus ensuring a nationwide infrastructure. Furthermore, the German company is also looking closely at future issues relating to electromobility - including the possibilities of wireless charging.
Electron CEO Oren Ezer noted: "We are very excited to see EnBW's great commitment and support for advancing innovative technologies that can increase the penetration of electric mobility to Germany and globally. Germany is a global leader in prompting climate-related solutions and we believe that this project will be a great entry point for the Electreon's solution to the German market"
The wireless ERS will power bus lines that connect the new EnBW training center in Karlsruhe's Rhine harbor to the local public transport system. With this project, EnBW wants to test the innovative charging technology's suitability for everyday use , which will initially be set up on EnBW testing grounds. Later on, the charging coils are also set to be deployed on the adjacent public road. The first road-works on the bus route will begin as early as August 2020, and the installation of the charging technology and the construction of the bus stop are to be completed this year, as well. At the beginning of 2021, part of the Fettweisstraße route adjacent to the site will also be equipped with inductive charging coils.
Electreon will provide EnBW with a turnkey solution including dynamic and static wireless ERS, an electric bus equipped with DWPT receivers and installation, operation and maintenance services. EnBW will participate in the overall project management, provide the grid connections, engage in monitoring and evaluating the system, and take responsibility for communicating with the relevant local authorities.
Electreon's array of platforms already include electric buses based on Super-Cap storage and battery-electric long haul trucks that are tested in projects in Sweden and Tel-Aviv. In this project, the company will add a Higer battery electric bus to its line of Wireless ERS ready platforms. The bus will be operated by the Karlsruhe Transport Company - VBK, the municipal transport company of the city of Karlsruhe. Technical support for the bus will be provided by Chariot Motors, Higer distributor in Europe. The road works will be done by Eurovia and electric works by Omexom, both subsidiaries of Vinci.
Wolfram Münch, EnBW's Head of R&D said that “the construction of the charging track for electric buses is intended to show us what role wireless charging can play in future offers for our customers, as a sustainable infrastructure provider, it is also important for us to test new technologies that will allow us to make even better use of electricity for mobility and reduce emissions".
