Iveco unveils eDaily with inductive charging solution

Italian commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco has equipped an electric transporter, the eDaily, with inductive charging technology that works both dynamically while driving and statically. This vehicle is being used by Italian motorway concessionaire Brebemi along the A35, which features a corresponding test section.

The A35 motorway connects the cities of Brescia, Bergamo, and Milan and is also known as the BreBeMi. When it opened in the summer of 2014, it represented the largest motorway section commissioned in Italy since 1980. As early as 2020, construction began on a 1,050-metre pilot section with inductive charging coils, developed by the Israeli startup ElectReon. At the time, there was already a vision to extend this inductive charging corridor to the entire 62-kilometre length of the A35.

This vision has now become the foundation of Iveco’s latest announcement: the manufacturer has modified an electric van of the eDaily model to enable inductive charging along the A35—both dynamically (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer, DWPT) and stationary. The vehicle, configured as a 42C Crew Van with a double cab and six seats, will be used by the motorway concessionaire Brebemi, which operates most of the A35 as a toll road, for transporting its staff.

A reference for wireless charging

The inductively charging eDaily is set to mark a significant milestone on a path that Brebemi embarked upon years ago with the aforementioned pilot project, ‘Arena del Futuro’, and later continued with the startup VoltAtire. The pilot project, in which Iveco has long been involved with its E-Way electric bus, has established Brebemi as an international reference point for wireless charging technologies.

“After nearly a year of testing wireless charging in both static and dynamic modes on the equipped ring at the A35 Brebemi ‘Arena del Futuro’ site – with highly positive results – we seized the opportunity to prepare a new eDaily equipped with the DWPT system. Our ambitious goal is to extend static charging functionality to compatible public sites,” explained Marco Aimo Boot, Vehicle Electrification – T&D Innovation & Advanced Engineering, Iveco Group.

“The development of this solution within our technology portfolio represents a concrete step forward on our decarbonization path. Testing DWPT directly on the highway further demonstrates how dynamic charging can effectively support daily operational needs, ensuring safety, performance, and service continuity for drivers and operators. Our project with A35 Brebemi opens new perspectives for electrification in the sector and reaffirms IVECO’s determination to lead innovation on the road, where the mobility of the future takes shape,” says Norberto Codegone, Head of LCV Product Management at Iveco.

Pilot Projects in Germany and France as Well

Test tracks for inductive charging while driving are also being trialled on the German A6 in the Upper Palatinate and on the French A10 near Paris. Additionally, a test track is currently being set up on a highway in Florida. Recently, the provider involved in the projects in Italy, Germany, and France, Electreon, acquired its US competitor InductEV.

In principle, inductive charging while driving could eliminate the need for stationary charging sessions. If this ‘dynamic form’ of inductive charging were widely adopted, electric vehicles would require significantly smaller batteries than those currently used. However, this is not yet the case, as there are only a few pilot projects with mostly very short sections for dynamic charging. The technology is therefore likely to remain confined to niche applications for the foreseeable future.

Source: via email, iveco.com