Norway to install world's first wireless electric car charging stations for Oslo taxis

Oslo, the capital of Norway, will be the first metropolitan area in the world to install wireless induction charging stations for electric taxis, with the aim of creating a zero emission cab system by 2023, according to the Reuters. Norway, however, wants to go even further and requires all new cars sold in the country to be fully electric by 2025.

Norway builds on the Finnish utility company Fortum, which is working with US-based Momentum Dynamics and the Oslo municipal government to install charging plates linking Norway's charging system. the energy receivers of vehicles. The goal is to make charging electric taxis as simple as possible, as it is now tedious, time consuming and expensive. Thanks to induction, which consumes less energy, taxis can be charged when they wait in what is called a taxi station or a slow queue in which taxis line up to wait for pbadengers .

Here's how Fortum describes how the system works in its press release:

The project aims to install a wireless load using induction technology. The load plates are installed in the ground where the taxi is parked and a receiver is installed in the taxi. This allows charging up to 75 kilowatts. This project will be the world's first wireless fast charging infrastructure for electric taxis, and will also contribute to the further development of wireless charging technology for all drivers of electric vehicles.

Fortum Charge & Drive has a long history of working with the taxi industry to electrify the taxi fleet. Infrastructure has proven to be the biggest hurdle: it takes too much time for taxi drivers to find a charger, plug it in, and wait for the vehicle to charge. The wireless fast charging project aims to solve these problems and thus reduce the climate emissions of the taxi industry, not only in Norway, but around the world.

"The future is electric, and it's already here now. Wireless charging could change the game, "said Sture Portvik, head of electric mobility in Oslo, in a statement. "From 2023, all taxis in Oslo will be zero emission. In collaboration with the taxi industry, we will ensure that this change is as easy and efficient as possible. Oslo will always be at the forefront of innovation and we are delighted to partner with two of the most progressive players in the industry in this radical change to launch the world's most ambitious wireless charging plan. fleet of taxis. "

Norway can only do this because of a number of logistical and economic factors. On the one hand, the country has only 5.3 million inhabitants, which allows the government to easily make comprehensive and large-scale changes to its infrastructure, while in the United States, there is no need for more. other, the larger countries would take much more time and receive much more repulsion. In addition, as Reuters Norway has no car companies that would fight taxes and other laws to encourage citizens to use electric vehicles. As a result, Norway has exempted owners of electric vehicles from certain taxes and has granted benefits such as free tolls and parking to those who use zero emission vehicles.

according to Reuters Norway's electric vehicle ownership rate is now the highest in the world and far exceeds Germany's fastest-growing electric car market. Last year, the country bought a total of 46,143 new electric cars. Thus, one in three new cars sold in the country is electric. In contrast, US citizens bought more than 17 million new cars last year, of which only 1.2% were electric, according to the International Energy Agency.