World’s 1st Wireless Charging EV Taxi Fleet to Come up in Oslo

Momentum Dynamics will provide its wireless charging system to Jaguar vehicles to support the City of Oslo with the world’s first wireless EV taxi fleet.

Momentum Dynamics has announced that it will provide its wireless charging system to Jaguar Land Rover vehicles to support the City of Oslo with the world’s first high-powered wireless EV taxi fleet. In a programme known as ‘ElectriCity’, Momentum will join Jaguar Land Rover, Nordic taxi operator Cabonline (NorgesTaxi AS), the region’s largest charge point operator Fortum Recharge and the City of Oslo to build wireless, high-powered charging infrastructure for taxis in the Norwegian capital.

The project will be the first wireless high-powered charging system for electric taxis in the world and by providing a fully automatic charging infrastructure model that can be implemented almost anywhere, it will help the rapid adoption of electric vehicles globally.

For usage efficiency, Taxi drivers need a charging system that does not take them off route during their working hours. Multiple charging plates rated at 50-75 kilowatts each, are installed in the ground in series at pick-up-drop-off points. This allows each equipped taxi to automatically charge while queuing for the next fare. The system, which uses no cables and is situated below ground, requires no physical connection between charger and vehicle, engages automatically and provides on average 6-8 minutes of energy per each charge up to 50kW. 

The taxi then receives multiple charges throughout the day on its return to the rank, maintaining a high battery state of charge and the ability to remain in 24/7 service without driving range restrictions.

Fortum Recharge, who will be supporting the installation and electrification of the project, identified the need for a more efficient charging experience for taxi drivers in Oslo and enlisted the support of Momentum Dynamics in integrating the wireless charging infrastructure.

Jaguar Land Rover will provide 25 Momentum-outfitted Jaguar I-PACE models to Cabonline, the largest taxi network in the Nordics. The brand’s performance SUV has been designed to enable Momentum Dynamic’s wireless charging technology, making it the ideal vehicle to drive the initiative. A team of engineers and technicians from both Momentum Dynamics and Jaguar Land Rover were engaged to help in testing the solution, and Cabonline signed up to operate the fleet as part of Oslo’s ElectriCity programme.

The Oslo ElectriCity partnership is part of Momentum’s vision of ‘Clean Streets’, a goal that enables EV charging without adding undesirable street clutter to urban environments.

Momentum Dynamics CEO Andy Daga said, “This is a technology breakthrough moment in the development of wireless charging for all communities. By providing an unlimited driving range our system enables Oslo cab drivers to stay in revenue service all day.  We are pleased that the system was integrated by Momentum and Jaguar Land Rover engineers into the I-PACE in a matter of weeks, even with the difficulties of COVID-19. This project perfectly outlines the automatic electric taxi charging model for any city looking to implement zero-emission transportation.”

Oslo will be the world’s first metropolitan area to install wireless, induction-based high-powered charging stations for electric taxis, in a bid to make its cab system emission-free as early as 2024. Norway wants to go even further however and is mandating that all new cars sold in the country by 2025 are zero-emission.