NYC streets to soon be equipped with wireless EV chargers that look like manhole covers

HEVO Power has created a new, innovative way to power up electric vehicles without having to plug them in. Their solution, dubbed the “HEVO Power Station,” has proven so effective, in fact, that plans are already in place to have the system deployed in New York’s Washington Square Park as early as 2014. 

As you can see by the image above, the charging system looks like nothing out of the ordinary. The two power stations currently in the system are meant to look like manhole covers, and blend into the natural surroundings of the city’s streets. 

Now, before you begin staking out parking spots around the Square in hopes of securing a power station of your own, it should be noted that there will be two spots initially, and they’re already reserved for a pair of Smart ForTwo electric vehicles operated by NYU. 

As for how the system works, the HEVO crew opted to go with a resonance charging system rather than the more traditional inductive charging system, which is used for technologies like smartphones, tablets, and the like. 

The reason why is that inductive charging can be a bit wasteful with its energy transfer. You see, the system requires a primary coil in the power station to generate an electromagnetic field that gets picked up by a second coil that, in this case, would be located under the EV and used to power up the car’s battery pack.

This method, while effective, isn’t efficient — large amounts of energy dissipate through the coil, and when you’re looking to charge on the fly, you want to limit the amount of power being lost.

With resonance charging, both coils are connected with capacitors that resonate at a specific frequency. Energy losses are largely mitigated, which allows the system to transfer more power at a faster rate and at greater distances.

There are three parts to HEVO’s particular system: a power station that is either bolted or embedded into the pavement, a vehicle receiver that’s connected to the battery, and a smartphone app that lets a driver line up a car with the station; the app also informs the driver of the vehicle’s power-level status.

As it stands right now, HEVO’s system is considered a Level 2 charging station, with 220 volts and up to 10 kilowatts of energy flowing from pad to car. While the company says the system can put out more than 10 kW (depending on the application); right now the focus is on quickly and efficiently charging the average electric vehicle, with its small footprint, low speed, and minimal battery capacity.

Worth noting about the company’s future a little bit down the road: Talks have already begun with major brands like PepsiCo, Walgreens, and City Harvest about the possibility of rolling out the system for larger vehicles like delivery trucks.

To learn more, check out the HEVO Power Station demonstration video below:

Story via: wired.com