The interest in wireless charging stations for electric and hybrid public transport buses has become quite big over the past few years. Different version of the same technology are currently under testing but nothing is like Busbaar V3, a system that can charge the battery of an electric bus in less than 10 minutes.
The technology is a product of the Spanish company Opbrid, in collaboration with the German Furrer+Frey. Yes, there are quite a number of already existing similar systems, so the concept is definitely not new. But what makes Busbaar V3 different from all the others, is the fact that it provides a mean to charge the EV bus in a space of five to eight minutes.
A quick overview on how it works. The charging is established through a pantograph, which connects to a copper bar on the roof of the vehicle. If you’re interested, you can have a look at this video, demonstrating Opbrid’s technology on a Volvo Plugin Hybrid bus. It charges up to 650KW, which is much higher than the most fancy technology on the market right now, and can be used by as many as eight buses simultaneously.
As the makers point out, the greatest advantage of such rapid charging is that it would allow more space for passengers on the bus, which was previously sacrificed to contain the batteries. What is more, the system is not necessarily suitable only for use on public transport. It can easily be placed on garbage collection trucks or delivery lorries. The makers are convinced that the system will allow conversion of hybrid buses to all electric, simply because there will be a minimal need of back up.
Just a quick reminder, last year we told you about the beginning of a test trial of similar technology in Germany, followed by an example from London.
Image (c) Opbrid
