Voi exploring wireless charging for its e-scooters, e-bikes

The charging pad could be connected to the energy grid and can be attached to the ground

Swedish micromobility startup Voi is exploring the potential of wireless charging for its fleets of e-scooters and e-bikes.

The Stockholm-headquartered company is working with Bumblebee Power, an Imperial College London spin-out company that is commercialising wireless power technology.

Bumblebee has retrofitted a Voi e-scooter with a wireless charging receiving unit to demonstrate the potential of the technology.

It consists of a thin and lightweight receiver coil and charger unit attached to the scooter. A charging pad below the scooter, which consists of a thin printed circuit board-based coil and control unit, transfers power wirelessly.

The charging pad could be connected to the energy grid and can be attached to the ground. Wireless charging pads could then be built into docking areas for rental e-scooters, allowing them to be charged while not in use.

These transmit pads could be easier to add to city infrastructure compared with existing charging hubs, which usually require a rider to manually connect the e-scooter to a power source.

Voi and Bumblebee will explore the viability of this in their first research project.

Voi is constantly on the lookout for innovative solutions that will accelerate the micromobility revolution, said Fredrik Hjelm, CEO and co-founder of Voi. As more cities adopt electric vehicles and micromobility transport in response to growing concerns over air pollution and congestion, the need for efficient, sustainable, and scalable operations becomes ever greater.

He said, we are proud to support the research and development that will further these goals by working with a world-leading institution such as Imperial College and Bumblebee Power. We’re aiming for long-term charging solutions that secure the future of micro-mobility.