TL;DR
Get business pricing on garage and car supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
Swiss startup Winduction, an ETH Zurich spin-off, is developing an inductive system that transfers power from charging plates in the road to coils in specially developed bus tires. The company reports efficiency above 90% and is building test infrastructure in Winterthur; its founders plan a first pilot in 2028, but route savings and real-world performance have not yet been confirmed.
Swiss startup Winduction, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, is developing a system to charge electric buses wirelessly through coils in specially developed tires. The company is building a test lab and test bus stop in Winterthur and says it aims to conduct its first pilot in 2028, though the system’s projected operating savings have not yet been verified in a full pilot.
Most road-based inductive charging systems transfer power from a coil beneath the road to another coil mounted on a vehicle’s undercarriage. Winduction instead places the vehicle-side coils inside a purpose-developed tire, reducing the gap between the road equipment and the receiving coils. The company says that shorter distance helps energy transfer, which can lose efficiency as the gap increases.
Winduction CEO Laurin Schwitter told Charged EVs that the company’s system achieves more than 90% transfer efficiency from the ground into the vehicle. That figure is the company’s reported result; the source report does not provide independent test data, the testing conditions or a comparison with other charging systems. The design requires a steel-free tire, which Schwitter said Winduction is developing with partners because conventional bus tires’ steel belts could interact with the magnetic field and turn power into heat.
The startup demonstrated the system on the bus route between Zurich Airport and the Oerlikon district, according to the report. Winduction’s calculations suggest that charging plates could be installed at two of the route’s 24 stops, with buses charging for a total of three hours across 16 operating hours. The report compares that scenario with the route’s current electric buses, which charge overnight in the depot for five hours. The route figures are projections, not results from a completed commercial service.
Potential Changes to Bus Charging
If the approach works reliably in service, charging at selected stops could let operators replenish buses while they are already on their routes, rather than relying only on overnight depot charging. Frequent top-ups may allow some fleets to use smaller battery packs, which could reduce vehicle purchase and operating costs. Winduction argues that the system could also reduce the number of charging installations needed for a fleet, but the effect would depend on route schedules, energy demand, infrastructure costs and charging performance.
The approach also shifts part of the engineering challenge from the vehicle’s underside to its wheels. Tire-integrated coils and steel-free tires must withstand the operating demands of buses while transferring energy safely and consistently. Results from controlled demonstrations and upcoming tests will matter to transit agencies weighing a system that requires both road-side equipment and specially designed vehicle components.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Winduction’s Design Differs
Inductive charging transfers electricity through a magnetic field between coils, avoiding a direct plug-in connection. In the common road-to-undercarriage design, the distance between the two coils can vary with vehicle type and ground clearance. Winduction’s founders say positioning the receiving coils in the tires addresses that spacing issue because wheels remain in contact with the road.
The company’s proposal is part of a wider shift toward electrifying bus fleets in Europe, including Switzerland, as described in the Charged EVs report. Winduction’s specific case is still at an early development stage: the route demonstration and company calculations provide a basis for further evaluation, but the startup has not yet reported a completed public-service pilot. Its first pilot is planned for 2028, following development work at its Winterthur facilities.
“We believe that electric buses can be operated much more cheaply if they are charged wirelessly and regularly during operation.”
— Laurin Schwitter, Winduction CEO, speaking to Charged EVs
inductive charging system for buses
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Performance and Savings Still Unverified
Commercial performance remains unproven. Winduction’s reported efficiency figure and projected route savings come from the company, and the report does not include independent measurements or a completed operational pilot. It is also unclear what the charging plates, tire system and ongoing maintenance would cost, or how the tires would perform over their service life.
The reported route scenario does not establish that two charging points will meet every operational requirement under real-world conditions. Details such as the feasibility study’s findings, the exact charging power, installation costs, effects on schedules and how the system performs in varied weather and road conditions have not been provided. The company’s intended 2028 pilot is a plan, not a confirmed deployment date.
specialized tires for wireless charging
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Winterthur Tests Before a Pilot
Winduction is developing a test lab and test bus stop in Winterthur, where it plans to bring the charging plates, tire-integrated coils and vehicle systems together. Schwitter said the next development stage is to prepare a fully converted electric bus that can operate beyond the company’s private test area. The report says discussions are underway with several Swiss transport operators.
The founders plan to carry out a first pilot in 2028. Before then, the feasibility study with transport operators is expected to quantify route-specific savings, while testing should provide more information on system performance and integration. No participating operator, pilot route, timetable or final commercial deployment plan has been identified in the source report.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
How does Winduction’s wireless bus charging system work?
Charging coils are installed in a plate set into the road, while receiving coils are integrated into a specially developed bus tire. The system transfers electricity inductively across the small gap between the road and the tire.
Has Winduction’s system been used in regular bus service?
The company demonstrated the system on the route between Zurich Airport and Oerlikon, according to Charged EVs. A full pilot in regular service has not yet been reported; Winduction’s founders plan a first pilot in 2028.
What efficiency does Winduction report?
Winduction says its system achieves more than 90% efficiency in transferring energy from the ground into the vehicle. The source report does not provide independent test results or detailed testing conditions.
Why does the system need a special tire?
Winduction says conventional bus tires contain steel belts that could interact with the system’s magnetic field and turn some power into heat. The company is working with partners on a tire without steel belts.
Could wireless charging reduce bus battery size?
Winduction says regular charging during operation could allow buses to use smaller batteries. That remains a projected benefit; the effect would depend on route requirements and results from testing and pilot operations.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
