Wireless EV charging provider InductEV joins Zero Emissions Port Alliance

U.S. wireless EV charging provider InductEV has joined the Zero Emissions Port Alliance (ZEPA), an industry-wide strategic coalition aiming to accelerate port decarbonization by making battery-electric container handling equipment (BE-CHE) affordable and accessible.

InductEV’s wireless on-route EV charging technology is said to have multiple benefits, including environmental ones. The solution offers fleet owners and port operators economic advantages through improved fleet utilization and reduced CapEx costs, InductEV noted.

As explained, the system works by using inductive charging pads: an in-ground pad that is instantly activated when paired with an under-the-vehicle pad. InductEV revealed that the current systems provided by the company range from 75 kW up to a 450- kW wireless charge, adding that no additional real estate is needed compared to wired conductive chargers. The hands-free operation is said to improve driver safety as well.

Reportedly, the InductEV’s solution shifts the charging paradigm from relying solely on time- and energy-intensive overnight wired charging sessions in depots to shorter, on-route charging sessions spread throughout the day, which reduces the friction of electrification for both power utilities and fleet operators by maximizing the use of available (clean) energy.

This solution for commercial fleets is now operational at APM Terminals in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S., and is expected to soon be installed at a major port facility on the West Coast of the U.S.

Commenting on the ZEPA membership, James Wroe, InductEV’s Managing Director for Europe, Asia and the Middle East, stated: “We embrace the mission of ZEPA and share in its members’ vision for the electric future of the 940 container ports around the world. This industry is at a tipping point, and we’re excited to demonstrate the role wireless, opportunistic charging can play in this vital transformation.”

To note, the Netherlands-based terminal operator APM Terminals and the UAE-based port developer and operator DP World formed ZEPA in 2023.

The coalition’s work focuses on four key workstream objectives:

• driving scaled-up production capacity and shorter lead times of battery electric CHE by manufacturers and reducing product costs,
• bringing down the cost of batteries and charging solutions and simplifying implementation through standardization,
• facilitating cost-efficient roll-out of power infrastructure for battery electric CHE, shore power and other cargo segments, as well as
• creating better market conditions and helping accelerate the adoption of untethered battery electric CHE.