Dual charging for electric cars and flying vehicles moved a step closer with the demonstration of proof of concept in Oxfordshire.
Until now, the only ways to realise the ambition of personal flight have involved a pilot’s licence or a virtual reality headset, but a test conducted at Bicester’s Park and Ride facility has seen fiction merging with reality to offer a glimpse of the transport of tomorrow.
As the main contractor, Borehamwood infrastructure specialist SOS Synergy successfully developed a design solution for future use, with a present transferrable design from concept to construction of a temporary electricity infrastructure solution to supply power (using the available grid capacity).
Petalite’s prototype DC charge post and power hub successfully charged both an electric vehicle and a drone simultaneously. This ultra-fast prototype fully charged the ARC Aerosystems electric Short Take Off and Landing (eSTOL) unmanned aircraft in 12 minutes, while simultaneously charging an electric car.
This milestone validates the potential for 600kW charging infrastructure, supporting the continuous operation of electric ground vehicles and eVTOLs/eSTOLs in the future.
This project was part of the Future Flight and Land Infrastructure Programme (FFLIP) and funded by Innovate UK Business Connect (part of UK Research and Innovation, a government body), to which Petalite and consortium partners, including Oxfordshire County Council, successfully bid.
Omer Atuf, managing director of SOS Synergy, said: “To have been selected to participate in such an interesting and groundbreaking project with Petalite, Oxfordshire County Council, ARC Aerosystems and the FFLIP project team has been a real pleasure, and we look forward to being involved in future related developments as the technology evolves”.