Renault’s EV-charging initiative includes wireless highways

27 January 2020

Renault has launched a new project to promote electromobility via innovative charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs).

The INCIT-EV project sees Renault, together with 32 partners across Europe, embark on a 48-month initiative that it hopes will alleviate some fears consumers have surrounding electric vehicles. The scheme has support from the European Commission as part of a call for proposals within the European Horizon 2020 programme.

Multiple options

Testing will involve seven innovate-charging technologies in chosen locations across Europe in two phases. The first will first involve analysing user needs and requirements, followed in April 2020 by an assessment of charging technologies and their integration into infrastructures.

Phase two will focus on the seven technology demonstrations on selected sites and will run from the second half of 2022 to the end of the project.

As part of the initiative, a ′dynamic induction-charging system’ is to be installed in Paris, with another around Versailles. These wireless chargers, integrated into the road networks, will allow EVs to charge while on the move, giving the vehicles more freedom and a greater range.

As well as this, the project will focus on:

• High-voltage charging systems in the outskirts of Tallinn, Estonia;
• Optimised bidirectional “smart charging” in Amsterdam and Utrecht, the Netherlands;
• A charging hub in a carpark for car-share vehicles in the outskirts of Turin, Italy;
• Low-power bidirectional charging (for two-wheeled vehicles also) and static wireless charging in taxi lanes located at the airport and central station in Zaragoza, Spain.

Collaborative efforts

To address the needs to test the charging technologies in real-life conditions – such as the Contactless Dynamic Charging (CDC) technology – and to structure the whole ecosystem, Groupe Renault took the European Commission’s call for new projects as an opportunity to create a consortium.

Thirty-two industrial companies, universities, institutes, cities, start-ups, and SMEs positively answered the call put out by Renault, with the shared desire to promote electric mobility in Europe by carrying out electric car’s user-centric experiments.

′As Europe’s pioneering electric-vehicle company, Groupe Renault is known for being an innovative company that cares about customers. The INCIT-EV project we launched is a large demonstration of user-centric urban and long-range charging solutions to boost an engaging deployment of electric vehicles in Europe,’ says Xavier Serrier, project manager for the electric-vehicle charging systems in Groupe Renault’s research department.

The group hopes that by the end of its research period, it will have developed these new technologies enough to see them rolled out across Europe, increasing the uptake of EVs by making them a practical alternative to petrol and diesel models.