Nottingham City Council has declared a number of projects aimed at supporting and encouraging taxis drivers to make the switch to greener vehicles. These projects include expanding the network of publicly accessible charge points, starting a ‘try before you buy’ leasing strategy, and providing financial support to install domestic charge points or switch to an ULEV Hackney cab.
Nottingham’s Wireless Charging Trial
Nine electric taxis will be taking part in a wireless charging trial in Nottingham, which will be funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
Each taxi will be available on the streets of Nottingham for the general public to ride in as they hope to capture vehicle data to support the trial, this includes journey distances and battery level monitoring.
All the vehicles in the trial will feature a new green and blue livery to promote the WICET (Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis) branding, with “This electric taxi will charge wirelessly’ written on the side of each cab to support the wireless power transfer scheme.
Further promotion values include posters that will feature on the interior of each taxi. These posters will include information on how wireless charging works and the benefits of a wiles charging network.
The head of innovation at OZEV said: “The WICET project is part of a diverse programme looking to address the challenges associated with the transition to zero emissions vehicles. Wireless charging technology has clear commercial and consumer experience opportunities but it could help address some accessibility challenges connected with charging an EV.”
The taxis involved in the project include five plug-in hybrid LEVC TX Electric Taxis, and four electric Nissan Dynamo cabs.
How Does Wireless Charging Work?
Wireless EV charging occurs when a compatible vehicle is stationary and placed over a wireless induction pad which can be integrated into the surface of a road. This provides EV infrastructure with a convenient alternative to the conventional plug-in charging stations.
The department for transport suggests that the £3.4 million project could pave the way for an EV charging revolution, and if the trial is successful, wireless charging could be rolled out in vast motion for public use.
Organisations involved in the scheme include Cenex, Sprint Power, Shell, Nottingham City Council, Parking Energy, Transport for London and Coventry University. However, it is Nottingham City Council that owns the vehicles and will give drivers access to them without charging a rent fee.
For more information on EV infrastructure and vehicle charging networks visit our website.