Friday 11 November 2011

London trials wireless electric car charging

London is to trial a new wireless charging system for electric cars. From early 2012 as many as 50 electric vehicles (EVs) will join the first Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) scheme in the capital. London Mayor Boris Johnson said the trial would help the city become "the electric car epicenter of Europe".

The charging points from Qualcomm, a developer of 3G and next-generation mobile technologies, will transfer power without use of a cable.

The Mayor said: "Encouraging a massive uptake in electric driving is key to this vision of becoming a zero-emission city. We are already on this path with Transport for London delivering a citywide charging network, but we need to go further."

The trial will be based partly in Tech City, the East London cluster receiving strong support from Prime Minister David Cameron. He said: "The decision to trial this at Tech City shows confidence in the UK as an ideal place for innovation and investment."