Limited range is one of the most familiar issues not to drive an electric car. And this also implies for EV’s on the race track. It is for example difficult to drive at full power in a twenty minute race. But what if it’s possible to charge your vehicle during a race? Scientists from Stanford University are working on a similar project.
Researcher Shanhui Fan suggests in the NewScientist using magnetic coils embedded in the roadway to create a weak field that resonates with a coil on the car to transfer power. Fan wonders whether magnetic power transfer would be possible at highway speeds and at levels sufficient for vehicles. His calculations showed that a seat of resonant coils and discs could transfer about 10 kilowatts with a 97 per cent efficiency at 7 microseconds. That’s fast enough for the highway and that may also imply for race tracks. And it is safe according to Fan, because power can only be transferred between two objects whose resonance is very closely attuned. Plus, batteries could be smaller and therefore cutting costs.
A similar project is already underway in Belgium. Flanders Drive has fitted a hybrid bus with inductive components. They have built a test track on which they are studying how batteries can be charged in a bus in an efficient, quick and user-friendly manner. Later on, they will integrate optimized components in an electric car.
When these findings are sufficient, it would create great possibilities for EV race organizers and circuit owners to attract and organize electric racing series which are able to race at full power for short and endurance races, with smaller batteries and without hours of charging between the races.