With many viewing wireless charging as the future, Ford has filed a host of patents revolving around ways that it could potentially make that type of feature become a reality in the future. However, it isn’t alone in that venture either, as the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Electreon recently began a wireless charging pilot program near Michigan Central Station, and another outfit – WiTricity – debuted a Ford Mustang Mach-E with its own wireless charging technology at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Now, WiTricity is partnering with another entity to launch a new Ford E-Transit wireless charging program, too.
WiTricity is teaming up with International Transportation Service LLC (ITS) to launch this new pilot program at the Port of Long Beach in California, which will last for six months and is designed to test the effectiveness and efficiency of WiTricity’s wireless charging technology in real-world conditions. At the same time, the pilot program will give ITS the ability to assess the impact of this type of charging on its operational costs as it transitions its fleet to EVs, too.
In addition to those benefits, this new program will represent the first time a Ford E-Transit has been outfitted with WiTricity’s Halo wireless charging tech, as well as the first time it has been used in a fleet setting. Those wireless chargers will be used to keep the ITS light-duty EV fleet charged up and ready to go, and only requires those vehicles to park over a charging pad to enjoy the same sort of charging speeds as a Level 2 plug – albeit in a more convenient manner.
“The International Transportation Service pilot program will yield meaningful real-world data on the benefits of our wireless charging for fleets,” said Joe Benz, CEO of WiTricity. “Our WiTricity Halo wireless EV charging platform unlocks significant potential for commercial deployments, offering seamless, efficient charging that improves safety, reduces costs, and optimizes workflow. This pilot program is a great first step to help ITS minimize the total cost of ownership of electrifying its fleet.”
We’ll have more on this wireless charging program soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comment
Too bad there is absolutely no technical information in this article. Anyone considering such a product would want to know totally nonessential information, like,
How fast does the thing charge-up?