Qualcomm and Transport for London are cooperating on a trial program in which fifty EVs will test wireless recharging systems in Cool Britannia’s capital.

Qualcomm and Transport for London are cooperating on a trial program in which fifty EVs will test wireless recharging systems in Cool Britannia’s capital, Auto Express News reported this week. The test will last two years, and the company envisions public wireless chargers going online at UK car parks, offices and shopping centers in 2014.

Qualcomm’s inductive charging system transfers energy from an iPad-size plate on or under the roadway to another plate on the underside of an EV. Wireless chargers are not only more convenient than plug-in posts – they also reduce street clutter and the risk of theft or vandalism. Currently, the car has to be parked to fill up, but some day recharging points could be embedded in roads, banishing range anxiety for good.

Qualcomm, the world's largest chipmaker, has been a major investor in wireless power R&D, and acquired charging technology provider HaloIPT earlier this year. The company claims its wireless system beats the competition, because it works over a wider air gap between car and charging plate.

“The system works on the principle of a magnetic resistance similar to charging an electric toothbrush,” said Qualcomm’s Joe Barret. “The advantage of our system is that even if you're not very good at parking it will still work. In future you could have pads buried in the motorway every metre, which would allow electric cars to travel longer distances, have smaller batteries and weigh less.”

Image: HaloIPT