Electric Vehicles – Personal transportation for the future

Plug-in EVs are being heralded as a step towards acceptance of pure EV’s. However concerns remain regarding uptake by consumers, in terms of range anxiety and economic operation. These concerns are mitigated if energy can be transferred to the vehicle while it is moving, but there are implications in terms of the highway infrastructure required without restricting a vehicle’s freedom to move while providing power over air-gaps in excess of 200mm. Such flexibility brings with it problems that are not normally inherent in stationary systems where electronic alignment may be employed to control magnetic coupling. The system must cope with variances as seen by both the power supply and the EV, while ensuring that the power receiver is compatible with both stationary and roadway systems. This paper discusses recent developments in wireless charging infrastructure for EV’s and describes systems that may be suitable in future. As vehicles operate on the Grid they will constitute a substantial load that must be managed. A solution is presented here at little infrastructural cost such that the Grid, ‘on load’ has better power quality than ‘off-load’.