European Companies Testing Wireless Power Technology for E-Scooters

European electric scooter company Voi Technology is testing wireless charging technology with Bumblebee Power for e-scooters and e-bikes. The companies hope to develop plans to deploy charging pads in cities. Their first project addresses how electric transmitter pads can alleviate cities' infrastructure challenges in implementing easy-to-maintain electric charging hubs. Bumblebee’s thin, printed circuit-board-based coil and control unit, connected to the grid, can be mounted to a parking area surface, where it transfers power wirelessly to a receiver coil and charger unit on a scooter placed a few inches above. Potential benefits of the technology include the ability to keep a scooter fleet active on the road longer; charging efficiency equivalent to wired charging; a reduced need to transport scooters to and from warehouses; the ability to have e-scooter operations in more remote areas; and incentive for users to park e-scooters in designated areas, they said. By 2030, the shared electric micro-mobility market is expected to spend more than $187 million on battery charging, they said.