The future of electric mobility with wireless charging system for vehicles arrives in Spanish city

Range and lack of charging points are two of the challenges still facing electric vehicles, despite significant progress made by manufacturers and a growing number of publicly available charging facilities.

A step forward towards greater electrification and to facilitate the charging process of electric vehicles has been taken by Zaragoza city council with tech partner CIRCE - Technology Centre. Together they have presented an innovative wireless charging technology that works on the move, which aims to transform the European urban transport landscape.

This development in northeastern Spain's Aragon region is the latest milestone in the European INCIT-EV project, which has received funding of 15 million euros from the European Commission and a direct investment in the Aragonese capital of almost three million euros.

Tatiana Gaudes as councillor for the environment and sustainability emphasised Zaragoza's position as a city "that is committed to the future of sustainable mobility, open to being a space in which to test new technologies that, in the immediate future, will become elements of everyday use for everyone." She continued: "In this sense CIRCE is a strategic partner of Zaragoza council and it is always a source of pride and a guarantee to go hand in hand with them in this type of project."

General manager of CIRCE - Technology Centre, Andrés Llombart, pointed out that "these cutting-edge technologies eliminate the need for cables and optimise the charging process through a safe and efficient system, ready to be integrated into existing urban infrastructures. With this initiative Zaragoza is taking a key step towards cleaner mobility and a more sustainable urban environment where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand."

According to the biggest vehicle manufacturers' special interest and lobby group in Spain, known as Anfac, the country continues to increase its network of charging points. However, on the negative side, the number of non-operational, installed charging points increased by 5.8% from 8,645 to 9,145. If these were operational they would bring the public access charging network to 44,843, almost meeting the 2023 target.

Back to the positive news, it was in the second quarter of 2024 that the public access charging infrastructure increased to 35,698 operational charging points. This means that there are 3,276 more charging points than in the data corresponding to the first quarter report, better growth than that recorded from January to March 2024.

The ultra-fast charging network of 150 kW or more is also increasing by 309 new charging points. Spain currently has 2,412 points with this level of power, which represents 6.7% of the total network. Therefore, the number of chargers with this power is still low. Progress in this type of chargers is necessary to bring charging times closer to those of refuelling a conventional vehicle, as well as to facilitate the development of improved mobility for freight and passenger vehicles.

Lastly, 29% of the public access charging infrastructure in Spain has a power output of more than 22kW.

One of the main achievements of the INCIT-EV project launched in Zaragoza is the development of an inductive charging system for electric taxis. This system allows recharging up to 50 km of autonomy in just ten minutes, making it an ideal solution for vehicle fleets in urban areas. Thanks to the installation of a ground-cooled transmitter coil, vehicles can be charged wirelessly and without the risk of overheating, which provides greater safety and energy efficiency.

In addition, a major breakthrough has been achieved with dynamic charging, allowing vehicles to charge en route while travelling at speeds of up to 130 km/h. This system, based on the installation of a cable under the top layer of asphalt on the chosen roads, is particularly promising for long-distance journeys as it accelerates the transition to more sustainable transport, while significantly reducing downtime and operating costs.

Another key innovation of the project is the development of a bi-directional inductive charging system, installed outside Mobility City at the old Expo site in Zaragoza. This technology allows electric vehicles not only to recharge wirelessly, but also to act as mobile energy storage units, exchanging electricity with buildings and renewable energy sources. With a capacity of up to 25 kW, this solution contributes to balancing energy demand, supporting grid stability and creating new opportunities for the integration of renewable energy in the city.