In an attempt to field test the revolutionary electric charging method of dynamic induction, the Italian-American conglomerate Stellantis N.V. recently created the “Arena Del Futuro” test track. The company stated that this radically new pilot test track has been built by A35 Brebemi, the direct motorway link between Brescia and Milan, in collaboration with Stellantis and other international partners, public institutions and universities. And it aims to test the idea of wirelessly charging an EV while constantly moving on the road. The company used a new electric Fiat 500 for the purpose.
The 1,050-meter-long circuit has now been successfully inaugurated and it is powered by a 1 MW electrical output and is located in a private portion of the A35 autostrada near the Chiari Ovest exit. The “Arena del Futuro” is now ready to put the cutting-edge technology used to charge electric vehicles on the circuit to the test.
Stellantis utilised a New Fiat 500 and an Iveco E-Way bus that had been specially outfitted to test the system. And reported that it had already travelled thousands of kilometres with positive results. The goal of this pilot program now is to show how the DWPT (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer) system, which is the centrepiece of the “Arena del Futuro,” is one of the best candidates for providing immediate, concrete answers to decarbonization and environmental sustainability requirements in the mobility sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Anne-Lise Richard, Head of the Global e-Mobility Business Unit at Stellantis said, “This is a cutting-edge solution to provide a concrete answer to the issues of range and charging, both of which customers are concerned about.” To follow up on the announcements made at EV Day, Anne-Lise Richard stated: “We’re accelerating our role of defining the mobility of the future and, in this sense, DWPT technology seems to us to be in line with our desire to offer a concrete response to customers’ requirements. Charging vehicles while they are on the move provides clear advantages in terms of charging times and the size of their batteries.”
Stellantis stated it will be able to accomplish its ambitious electrification ambitions set at its EV Day by delivering innovative services like the DWPT system. By 2030, more than 70% of the vehicles it sells in Europe and over 40% of those sold in the United States will be low-emission vehicles (LEVs).
Elaborating on this revolutionary technology the company said that electric cars may be charged “wirelessly” using DWPT by driving in wired lanes with a novel turn mechanism built beneath the asphalt. This technology can be used in any vehicle that has a unique “receiver” that transmits energy from the road infrastructure to the battery, resulting in a “zero-emissions” mobility system. Simultaneously, improved connection via IoT (Internet of Things) technologies will provide optimal road safety, enabled by continuous communication between the autostrada and the cars passing along it. The road surface will also be improved to make it more durable while maintaining the inductive charge’s efficiency and efficacy.
