Qualcomm unveils electric vehicle dynamic charging tech – built a 100m test track with 20kW charging

Despite the fact that electric vehicle charging rates have been improving rapidly and should soon solve the charging issue, there are still a few companies working on dynamic charging technology (DEVC) as a potential solution for charging times.

Qualcomm is the latest company to unveil a DEVC system this week. They demonstrated their technology on 100 meters of road in France that can charge electric vehicles at up to 20 kW while they are driving on the road.

The California-based semiconductor manufacturer built the technology on top of its wireless charging tech:

“Based on the Qualcomm Halo^™ wireless electric vehicle charging technology (WEVC), Qualcomm Technologies designed and built a wireless DEVC system capable of charging an electric vehicle (EV) dynamically at up to 20 kilowatts at highway speeds. Qualcomm Technologies also demonstrated simultaneous charging, in which two vehicles on the same track can charge dynamically at the same time. The vehicles can pick up charge in both directions along the track, and in reverse, further showcasing how the Qualcomm Halo DEVC system has been designed to support real-world implementation of dynamic charging.”

They built a test track project called ‘FABRIC’ in Satory Versailles. Two all-electric Renault Kangoo vehicles were fitted with the receiver and they will be running tests for efficiency until the end of the year.

Steve Pazol, vice president and general manager of wireless charging for Qualcomm, was really excited about the project:

“We are inventors. We are WEVC. This dynamic charging demonstration is the embodiment of this. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. The combination of a global team of expert engineers and Qualcomm Halo technology, which covers all aspects of WEVC systems, irrespective of the magnetics used, has enabled us to really push the boundaries of the possible and outline our vision for future urban mobility.”

VEDECOM was also involved in the project along with Qualcomm and Renault.

In the short-term, dynamic charging is not expected to be an important part of the electric charging infrastructure in the automobile industry. But in the long-term and with the advent of autonomous driving, we could see the technology being used on sections of highways in order increase the on-road time of some vehicles, especially trucks.

Other companies, like Honda, are working on the same concept, but with a much higher charge rate.