Wireless electric taxi rank charging edges closer as ongoing trials proving a success
Wireless taxi rank charging is taking positive steps forward after being tested successfully for a year and a half in Germany, with a “large” pilot now planned to follow at the end of 2021.
The concept of charging whilst waiting for passengers was once previously thought impractical for taxi drivers due to the need for wired chargepoints. However, that could all change through inductive charging technology.
The joint project Taxi-Charging-Concept for Public Spaces (TALAKO) is funded with €2million by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The project consortium includes the UDE and LEVC, the University of Wuppertal, the City of Cologne, INTIS GmbH, RheinEnergie AG, and TaxiRuf (Cologne).
The first ‘barrier-free’ taxi with inductive charging technology has recently been on the streets of Mülheim, where a taxi company has put a prototype system into operation.
Project manager, Prof. Heike Proff, said: "In this way, we are making a contribution to sustainable mobility, and we receive important information on developing business models."
The wireless energy transfer works by using an inductive charging strip integrated underground into the taxi rank. The counterpart is attached to the underbody of the electric taxi. When the two systems recognise each other, charging can begin. The car's assistance system, which is connected to an outside camera, shows whether the driver has parked properly.
The charging power is 20 kilowatts, which is about the same amount as the electric car receives from a conventional cable charge. Charging with a cable is also still possible.
Daniel Jaspers from the research team said: “Enough electricity is charged for around one kilometer per minute.”
According to the research team, the waiting time for taxis at the train station is around 45 minutes on average. This time can be used perfectly as charging time.
For comparison: the LEVC TX taxi can travel 120 to 150 kilometers fully charged. How much exactly depends on the type of use and the number of passengers. Should the path get longer, the range extender is activated in motion. A fuel-operated generator that extends the range by 500 kilometers if necessary.
In September 2022, the UDE researchers want to complete the project and present their results. The city of Cologne is already convinced; it wants to support four of the €70,000 vehicles with €12,000.
During the project period, a local energy supplier will set up the pilot system with six inductive charging stations and will provide the electricity required for this free of charge.
Daniel Jaspers added: "If five percent of the approx. 1,200 taxis in Cologne are electrified, up to 50,000 tons of CO2 can be saved annually."
