There is no denying that electric cars are going to be one of the biggest components of the future of green vehicles. The ease by which they are made, compared to other green vehicle types, and the rapid technological development in the industry ensures electric’s place in history. However, where some may be content in knowing where electric is going and may decide to allow their designs remain unchanged; one company is striving to radically alter the way electric cars are charged. Specifically, they plan to totally eliminate the need to plug in and charge electric cars.
Halo IPT is a New Zealand based company that is dedicated to taking electric green vehicles and making them entirely wireless. Using magnetic fields, Halo IPT plans to implement pads along highways, parking areas, and at homes that would correspond with pads that would be installed underneath electric vehicles. The two pads would react with each other and create an electric charge similar to the way most wireless charging systems work with home electronics. Halo IPT’s plan is to have these pads implemented along highways while maintenance is being done on them and to have them connected to the electrical infrastructure already connected to the highways. This would allow for an effortless installation of the system while also cutting down on the money that would be needed in order to begin implementing this plan.
While the overall plan is indeed a revolutionary new way of charging for green transportation, it does have some kinks in it that would need to be worked out. According to the company, the method of paying would be handled electronically through tariffs that the driver would set. The idea is that each driver would have a set tariff that would allow them to simply park at a designated charging pad and be charged for exactly the amount of time they were there. Beyond that, an exact pricing plan has not been ironed out and it would seem that the payment plan for this kind of service might be one of the biggest obstacles drivers would need to get over for adopting Halo IPT’s service beyond the physical implementation of the technology on vehicles and roadways.
Currently, Halo IPT is hoping to begin a commercial testing of their green vehicle technology sometime in 2012. In order to get themselves to the point where they would be able to perform a full commercial demonstration, the company is asking for companies and organizations to adopt the technology in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Whether or not they will receive widespread support remains to be seen, but they are not necessarily setting themselves up for failure either. With their plan firmly set, Halo IPT believes it will only be a matter of time before their wireless charging technology can be fully implemented across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and even beyond.
Article by Richard Cooke, appearing courtesy Justmeans.
1 comment
That is fantastic! Can these guys hook up with Better Place?
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