OLEV: KOREA'S ELECTRIC BUS THAT CHARGES UP WHILE ON THE ROAD

Korea unveils electric buses that charge up while on the road
By Adario Strange, Dvice, 7 August 2013.

When Elon Musk unveiled his battery swapping service months ago it was the Tesla founder's bid to help mainstream electric vehicles by making charging that much easier. But as previous battery swapping projects have proven, the dynamic isn't necessarily a sure-fire answer to wider adoption of electric cars. However, a new effort from Korea is offering a complication-free solution that could point the way for electric charging in major cities around the world in the near future.

Credit: KAIST (via Eurek Alert!)

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has introduced a vehicle called the OLEV that has the ability to receive an electric battery charge while in motion. Researchers employed what they call Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR) technology, a process that allows the vehicle to receive an electrical charge wirelessly via special roads embedded with cables that create magnetic fields.

Credit: KAIST (via Eurek Alert!)

According to the developers, only a portion (5 to 10 percent) of a road needs to be equipped with the cables to effectively charge a vehicle. Additionally, the road system can distinguish between regular non-SMFIR cars and OLEV buses, an important feature that could immediately make the technology viable for public roads worldwide.

Credit: KAIST

Currently, the developers plan to put two of the OLEV buses in operation on Korea's public streets, with plans for at least 10 more sometime in 2015. You can see a detailed demonstration of how the technology works in the video below.

Via PhysOrg

[Source: Dvice. Edited. Some images added.]