Future of mobility: Smart and wireless (dis)charging

Right now the sale and potential of EVs is quickly rising, of which we as Solar Team Eindhoven think it's a great (r)Evolution. However, if all cars would be electric, our current energy grid doesn’t has the capacity and will be overloaded. A big advantage of electric cars and the parallel development of smart grids is the potential of providing a buffer for the power grid. Let’s sketch an example: an ordinary family household has solar panels on its roof that can produce a lot of energy. During certain moments, the family doesn’t need all the energy and wishes to store it for later use. Besides, the energy supply will consist more and more of green energy. These sources are quite unstable and do not deliver power at the desired moment. There are quite some challenges to overcome before we have an integrated sustainable mobility network.

Smart grids are seen as the solution to the problem mentioned above. When energy is needed, the car can be part of this smart grid and functions like a buffer to provide energy. Due to the fact that right now cars can only charge their batteries but not discharge them, there is nog practical implementation yet. Until now, STE has built two solar cars who produce more energy than they need, with which she could charge the house. When you want to drive and there is not enough solar energy left, the grid can charge the car. Although, bidirectional and smart wireless charging is not possible yet in a user friendly environment. When you charge a car with a cable and it instantly starts charging. To give energy back you should use a separated cable and a different connection. The energy cannot be used at the right time and place.

To give back the energy to the grid at the moment when it is needed, there is a bidirectional and smart connection needed. We want to develop a system that can be integrated into cars to charge and discharge with a wireless connection. Without the use of multiple cables, the user can manage her energy household in an easy way. Besides this physical exchange of energy, it should also be a smart connection. In other words: the system should decide when to charge the car and when to discharge the car. This will depend on the energy demand of the house and its grid and your personal agenda. Your car knows exactly when you will need her to drive and when she is available to deliver (solar) energy. With a special function called Rednet the system will always make sure the car has enough energy to drive for unexpected rides. In the end, the power grid will be unburdened because the car can manage her own energy demand and supply. This will help the transition to a world with sustainable mobility and a smart use of the available energy.