Winduction says its charging system can transfer power from a road plate through a coil in a specially developed bus tyre. A pilot project is planned for 2028, according to the company. The startup reports efficiency of over 90 per cent between the plate and the vehicle.
What happens when a bus stops?
A charging plate is embedded in the road, and a second coil sits inside a purpose-developed tyre. When the bus stops above the plate, energy moves through a magnetic field and the wheel into the battery. This is inductive charging: power is transferred without plugging a cable into the bus. Winduction’s system is designed for buses waiting at stops, rather than vehicles charging while moving.
Why put the coil in a wheel?
In conventional inductive layouts described in the report, a coil beneath the vehicle transfers energy across the space between bus and road. That space can vary with vehicle type. Winduction places its vehicle-side coil in the wheel, reducing the distance involved in energy transfer. The company says the ground-to-vehicle efficiency exceeds 90 per cent, although the source does not set out testing conditions or independent verification.
Could this change bus battery size?
Winduction’s proposal is to charge buses in short periods at stops during the day. The company says that could allow buses to use smaller batteries. It also says less battery weight could reduce acquisition costs, while the space saved could increase room or payload capacity. These are potential effects described by the company, not measured outcomes from a reported pilot.
What engineering problem remains?
Standard bus tyres contain steel belts that would react with the magnetic field and convert some energy into heat. Winduction is working with partners to develop a tyre without steel for use with the system. The startup estimates that a more expensive tyre would have only a minor effect on the bus’s lifecycle costs. The report does not give a tyre price or technical specification.
What does the Zurich example show?
Winduction is working with transport companies to calculate possible savings and points to a route between Zurich Airport and Zurich Oerlikon. In its calculations, plates would be needed at two of the route’s 24 stops. Buses would collectively charge for around three hours during a 16-hour operating day. Those figures are an example from the company, not results from a completed route installation.
Winduction was established as an ETH Zurich spin-off by Laurin Schwitter, Sylvain Fricker and Sonam Bhuka. The company plans a pilot project in 2028, but the source does not identify its location or participating transport operators. It also does not describe the pilot’s evaluation method. The pilot is the next reported step for checking how the system works in operation.