S. Korean city launches wirelessly charged buses

S. Korean city launches wirelessly charged busesSouth Korea has launched a fleet of wireless electric buses in its southeastern city of Gumi, becoming the first in the world to test the technology on public roads.

The fleet of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) buses recharge wirelessly while driving on a specially-equipped 15-mile stretch of road.

Just below the surface of the road, there are electrical cables capable of magnetically transferring power to the buses. The buses have special electrical coils underside their chassis. These electrical coils collect power from the road.

The technology that allows the busses to receive a power wirelessly via specially-equipped road is called Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR).

Currently, there are two OLEV buses that are running back and forth along a central city route.

Carried out by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), the project aims to provide the country with electric vehicles that do not have to rely on conventional fuel or huge batteries.

Gumi city authorities have plans to add 10 more wireless electric buses to the fleet by 2015.