Three LEVC TX taxis retrofitted with wireless charging tech begin hitting streets of Germany

Image credit: INTIS

Three LEVC TX electric taxis have been retrofitted with wireless charging technology as part of a trial called TALAKO.

As part of the TALAKO project, INTIS will supply a total of six LEVC taxi vehicles and six charging stations in the German city of Cologne.

The project will provide the wireless charging of electric cabs in the power range up to 22kW. The roadside charging pads of the Taxi charging lane will be able to withstand the stresses of crossing with heavy trucks weighing up to 40 tonnes.

A prototype has been in testing since mid-2020 and experience has already been gained according to INTIS.

Whether the technology will become included as part of the international standardisation of wireless charging for stationary charging units is still to be decided.

INTIS will collect results from the TALAKO project and then decide whether a technology proposal can be submitted to the standardisation committees at IEC and ISO.

Dr. Ralf Effenberger, CEO at INTIS, said: “We are in good position to be able to set the bar for this decision in our own company.

"We will also be able to test this solution approach with a wireless power transmission of up to 22kW as part of a field test together with a logistics specialist in Berlin."