Voi Technology, an e-scooter rental operator, has partnered with WMG at the University of Warwick and power technology company Bumblebee Power for a six-month trial of wireless e-scooter charging on the university’s campus.
Charging offers a major logistical challenge for micromobility operators, with battery power often relying on warehouse charging and frequent replacement, which can demand large amounts of time and money from e-scooter companies.
As a response to this, Voi hopes to offer a new form of charging technology to offer the same user experience and battery performance more efficiently.
In partnership with Bumblebee Power, Voi intends to trial the use of wireless charging pads by retrofitting e-scooters with the technology needed to enable the charging of vehicles while parked.
During the trial, the University of Warwick campus will be treated as a mini city environment in itself as it reportedly offers a strong ‘living lab’ setting for trialling the tech. The e-scooters will be used by site staff only and are intended to support them in their daily responsibilities.
If the wireless charging proves successful, Voi suggests this could represent huge savings in operational costs for micromobility companies, while also supporting increased ridership by offering a solution which can more seamlessly be introduced into existing street and transport infrastructure.
The pilot period will be used to collect data on the wireless system’s performance, while also monitoring user behaviour and interaction with the technology, which Voi sees as key to any future large-scale deployment.
Sam Pooke, senior policy manager at Voi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Bumblebee Power and the University of Warwick to develop wireless charging for our e-scooters, an innovation that could change the whole micromobility industry.
“Applying this technology has the potential to not only reduce the operational impact of how we charge batteries for our vehicles but also in making an already convenient and flexible service even more accessible for new and existing riders.
“Over the coming months, we’ll look forward to working with our partners to maximise the innovative potential of this technology.”
Depending on the results of the trial, Voi could start upgrading its UK fleet to include this technology.
