Range-extending wireless-charged electric buses to be trialled in Milton Keynes 10 January 2014

The first all-electric buses in the UK to harness range-extending induction plates, buried in the road, are to be trialled on a 15-mile route in Milton Keynes at the end of this month (January 2014).

The trial of eight electric StreetLite buses, built by Wrightbus and operated by Arriva, will run for five-years, led by eFleet Integrated Service (eFIS), a consortium involving Mitsui and engineering group Arup.

The vehicles will be charged conventionally overnight at the depot, but receive 10-minute inductive booster charges at the start and end of the route, with the driver lowering charging plates on the underside of the bus close to electric coils built into the road.

According to the consortium, that is enough to replenish two-thirds of the energy consumed by the buses during their 15-mile route. As a resuilt, only two inductive charging points are required for all eight electric buses.

Professor John Miles, of Cambridge University, who is an Arup consultant and director of the Milton Keynes electric bus programme, also makes the point that booster charging means the vehicles can be fitted with smaller, lighter batteries. That, in turn, reduces power consumption, in a virtuous circle that helps these electric buses to compete head-to-head with diesel and hybrid alternatives.

"Electric buses' potential has largely been sidelined, because no one could see around the range problem associated with the batteries," he states.

Indeed, he believes that wireless charging has the potential to pitch electric buses squarely against conventional diesel buses for city and suburban operations, massively reducing the environmental impact of passenger transport.

"If we can demonstrate true parity with diesel buses, we'll have reached a tipping point for low-carbon transport. We'll have proved it can be cost-effective, as well as green," insists Miles.

The new electric buses will take over what's described as a demanding route, running 17 hours a day, seven days a week, with each bus covering more than 56,000 miles per year.

Author
Brian Tinham

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