Telecoms giant ZTE is launching a wireless charging service for electric buses in several Chinese cities.
Academus Tian, vice-president of ZTE’s New Energy division, said its technology would go into operation for 10 bus routes in June, but he declined to specify which cities would receive the service.
ZTE already has wireless charging stations in seven mainland cities, including Chengdu in Sichuan , Kunming in Yunnan and Shenzhen.
The company planned to invest 3.5 billion Yuan (about $570 million) in the technology within two years, local media reported earlier this year, although Tian cautioned the amount was “not fixed. The system involves an energy transmission module, buried underground, and a reception module installed on the vehicle.
Chinese government is making a concerted push towards increasing reliance on plug-in vehicles, with the transport ministry announcing last month that officials aimed to add 200,000 electric buses and 100,000 taxis by 2020.
With an eye on that growing market, ZTE is working with vehicle makers to ensure 30 percent of new electric buses and vans would be equipped with wireless-charging abilities in the next two years, most of them using the company’s technology.
“We have signed agreements with over a dozen carmakers and more are coming,” Tian said.
