ZTE, China’s largest listed telecom equipment company, is developing high-power wireless charging systems for public transport applications.

At a recent China-US workshop on EV standardization, Academus Tian, VP of ZTE New Energy Vehicle, said the company’s inductive charging module, which operates at a frequency of 85 kHz with a gap of 20 cm. It has a potential capacity of up to 30 kW, and efficiency of up to 90%. The footprint of the device is less than one square meter.

ZTE has partnered with commercial vehicle makers including Dongfeng, the Shudu Group, Wuzhoulong Vehicle and Hauer Auto to conduct trials of electric buses with wireless charging in six Chinese cities.

Wireless charging will show whether it can stand up to the cold in Changchung, where ZTE has three 45-seat city buses on a 10-mile route. Winter temperatures can be as low as -26˚ C (-14.8˚ F).

The largest of the pilots is in Zhengzhou, where ZTE is testing a system with 20 wireless chargers that can support up to 100 12.5-meter buses.

Tian said that local governments in about 21 cities have signed memorandums of understanding to deploy wireless charging solutions for public transport.

Source: Green Car Congress
Photo: Ken Banks, kiwanja.net (CC BY 2.0)