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Euronews
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Euronews
This Swedish city installed wireless charging pads for electric taxis
Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise, yet charging remains one of the main hurdles for regular drivers. In Gothenburg, Sweden, a bold experiment aimed to tackle it by eliminating plugs. Since March 2022, the city has been testing wireless charging technology through a unique three-year pilot involving a fleet of 20 electric taxis. Volvo Cars supplied the cars, the American company Induct EV integrated the inductive charging technology, and Gothenburg City provided infrastructure. Over three years, 20 Volvo's XC40 were used in taxi operations, covering over 4.3 million kilometres, according to a report published by Business Region Göteborg, the city's economic development agency. 'We are doing this to create more learning about what the wireless charging usage will be, and it's all about the people and how you will receive the technology,' Robert Eriksson, a senior technical leader at Volvo Cars, told Euronews Next. The wireless charging stations over the test period covered 13.5 per cent of the total fleet energy supply. 'It's a good project … you don't have to worry about the cable. Just stand on top of those [pads],' Talal Maksassi, a local taxi driver, told Euronews Next. How does it work? The wireless charging technology, developed by InductEV, was built into test cars supplied by Volvo Cars. Using a 360-degree camera built into Volvo's XC40, drivers can see the receiver marked as a blue box on the ground and align the car on top of it to start charging. Maksassi says it was tricky to align the car at first, but he's gotten used to it since. 'You need to be in the exact place to charge the car. Otherwise, it doesn't work. But you get used to it as well,' he said. The technology works much like a giant wireless phone charger. The in-ground chargers, connected to a charging station located about 20 meters away, transmit energy upward to a receiver mounted under the vehicle. 'What you have in the blue part here on the ground is a coil that is transmitting the wireless inductive energy into the receiver of the car. There is a similar pad placed under the car that receives the energy and then transports it through the wiring corners into the battery of the vehicle,' Eriksson said. The in-ground chargers can deliver up to 75 kW. 'Green City Zone' The project was part of Gothenburg's broader 'Green City Zone' initiative, which turns parts of the city into real-world testbeds for supporting the development of sustainable transport technologies, in an attempt to ensure emission-free traffic by 2030. In the EU member states, all new passenger cars and vans sold must be zero‑emission from January 2035. 'We have found wireless charging to be attractive for taxi fleets and other transporters at key locations within the city, with great potential of supporting our city's climate targets of lowering emissions from the traffic system,' Patrik Andersson, CEO, Business Region Göteborg, stated in the report. 'We are happy to foster further collaboration, and glad that an absolute majority of the project's drivers are keen to continue using this innovative solution,' he added. The study shows that the usage of plug-free charging can be improved with an increased number of charging stations. Volvo Car said the project can easily be replicated in other European cities. 'You can scale almost anywhere where you have electric vehicles and where you have an infrastructure, electric grids available and so on,' Eriksson said. 'Of course, you need to find places to put the charging station, and so you need to interact with the city. This is not something you can do completely alone as a group. You need to act together with others,' he added. The city has recently announced a new charging station with two inductive chargers in front of a massive international conference hall, in addition to the two charging stations with four in-ground chargers used in the trial. For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
KPIT announces new technology centre in Sweden
KPIT Technologies , a global partner to the automotive and mobility ecosystem for software-defined vehicles, on Wednesday announced the inauguration of its new technology centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. 'The Gothenburg centre is KPIT's first in the Nordics, reflecting a deeper commitment to European OEMs and investment to tap into the region's vibrant talent and innovation ecosystem,' KPIT said in a media release. The new technology centre is located at Lindholmen Science Park, Sweden. 'Surrounded by pioneering Swedish passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers, forward-thinking academic institutions, and cutting-edge mobility start-ups, this move reinforces KPIT's long-term vision to reimagine mobility with our clients , talent and partners,' said KPIT. 'Sweden is a powerhouse of innovation, especially around safe and sustainable mobility, with Gothenburg at its epicentre,' said Sachin Tikekar, president and joint MD, KPIT Technologies. 'Our presence here allows us to be physically closer to leading Swedish and European OEMs, enabling faster collaboration and solving their core business challenges with our software, hardware design and manufacturing engineering capabilities.' 'We are excited to work with local talent, harness Sweden's focus on technology and green transition, and co-develop solutions for challenges of mobility OEMs globally,' Tikekar added Live Events For over 20 years, KPIT has been a partner to many European mobility OEMs. 'KPIT's entry into Sweden strengthens its existing presence and will offer best value while working in tandem with centres in Germany, UK, France, Italy, and more — and enhance the global delivery network that spans the US, Japan, China, Thailand, India, and Tunisia,' the statement added. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories 'This is a strategically important investment for the Gothenburg region. The fact that KPIT Technologies is expanding here strengthens the capacity of our automotive cluster and confirms our city's importance as a global hotspot in software-defined mobility and transport,' said Patrik Andersson, CEO of Business Region Göteborg. KPIT is an independent software development and integration partner helping mobility companies. It specialises in embedded software, AI, and digital solutions. The company has engineering centres in Europe, the US, Japan, China, Thailand, and India.
