Human-inductively powered lightweight electric vehicles: Sustainable transportation for the smart city

Abstract

An increasing interest in inductive lanes for dynamic wireless power transfer, as a mean of on-the-road charging of electric vehicles, has been observed in recent times. Most of current related research and development efforts have so far been guided by the presumption of a future large-scale adoption of electric vehicle types whose payload and power train characteristics are compatible with the standard internal combustion engine vehicles they are supposed to replace in the coming years. The quest for energy conservation and more sustainable personal transportation, however, opens new possibilities for hybrid human-powered lightweight electric vehicles, such as e-bikes, electric rickshaws and similar lower mass, lower power and lower speed vehicles. These vehicles, when combined with dynamic inductive wireless power transfer lanes are predicted to deliver unprecedented transportation services at low granularity, constituting an alternative to heavier personal cars and even to public transports in some contexts. To allow this modal shift, some urban policies must be implemented, and new architectural guidelines should be adopted to include the inductive electrification of lightweight vehicle lanes. The expected result is a better conservation of energy and the promotion of a safer and healthier lifestyle in the cities of tomorrow.