Wireless charging for SOLO EV
New wireless EV charging system integrated by Ricardo – Qualcomm Halo™ technology – will bring new level of convenience to the Electra Meccanica’s SOLO EV.
To enable future mobility-based services in a planned autonomous version of Electra Meccanica’s SOLO electric vehicle (EV), the Canadian-based designer and manufacturer of EVs contracted the hybrid and electronic systems team at the Ricardo Santa Clara Technical Center, to integrate the SOLO with a wireless EV charging (WEVC) system from Qualcomm.
Qualcomm Halo™ WEVC technology uses resonant magnetic induction to transfer energy wirelessly from a ground-based pad to a second pad integrated within the vehicle. This energy is then used to recharge the vehicle’s battery and no user interaction with infrastructure or cables will be required.
‘At Electra Meccanica, we believe the future of mobility will include autonomous driving options, so we felt that it was important to start engineering those capabilities for SOLO now,’ said Ed Theobald, general manager, Electra Meccanica. ‘Induction charging is also a new technology we want to provide, and Ricardo has helped drive the integration of the Qualcomm Halo system for SOLO.’
Electra Meccanica is currently developing its SOLO single passenger all-electric vehicle which is intended to revolutionize the way people commute. SOLO is a three-wheeled, highway capable commuter car with a 100-mile range provided by its 17.3 kWh Li-ion battery pack. Currently, recharging is by wire via a J1772 Universal Connector using a standard North American 110V or 220V AC electrical supply.
‘Ricardo is pleased to have been asked to assist Electra Meccanica with the integration of the Qualcomm Halo wireless EV charging system on the SOLO vehicle,’ commented Ricardo Inc president, Paul Rivera. ‘Wireless charging of electric vehicles brings considerable benefits in terms of user convenience, avoiding the need to use cables or plug-in to recharge. We wish Electra Meccanica every success with the SOLO vehicle and its new wireless charging capability.’
