OREANDA-NEWS. E.ON and three partner organizations are conducting field trials of wireless, inductive charging for electric vehicles (EVs). The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building, and Nuclear Safety. This innovative technology, which is provided by SEW Eurodrive GmbH of Bruchsal in southwest Germany, transfers energy by means of a magnetic field created between inductive coils mounted in a floor pad and on the underside of the vehicle.

The trials are being conducted in and around Berlin by E.ON subsidiary E.DIS, Joey?s Pizza, and SEW Eurodrive’s Berlin technical office. This mix of partners makes it possible to test inductive charging in a wide range of situations.

A Joey’s restaurant in Hellersdorf, a district on the east side of Berlin, has been delivering pizza and pasta in a converted Peugeot iOn since August. When parked over the charging pad, the EV can be recharged even during brief breaks, ensuring that it is always ready for the next delivery. E.DIS is testing inductive charging with an EV based at its energy management center at BER, Berlin’s new airport. SEW Eurodrive’s Berlin office will soon begin testing a third vehicle, which it uses for service calls to customers.

“The EV charging infrastructure is expanding in response to competitive forces. More and more hotels, restaurant chains, shopping malls, and parking facilities are installing public charging stations as an added service for their customers. Some of these stations use innovative technology like inductive charging,” Bert von Garrel, head of e-mobility at E.ON, says. Drawing on years of experience gained in numerous demonstration projects and field trials, E.ON is continually developing its palette of e-mobility offerings for municipal, business, and residential customers.