As part of the US$1.5bn Kansas City International (KCI) new terminal project, the Kansas City Aviation Department is investing in a wireless vehicle charging system for its buses.
The charging solution will be supplied by the high-power inductive charging provider Momentum Dynamics, ready for the opening of the new terminal in 2023. The inductive system will extend the range of the airport’s electric buses by providing incremental charging to the existing KCI economy parking electric shuttle buses, keeping the buses in service longer along the seven-mile loop.
The system will be supported by two 300kW wireless chargers located at shuttle bus stops at the new terminal. While awaiting passengers, the electric buses will park over the charging pads to automatically receive incremental charging, which takes place while passengers are loading and unloading. Each charging session ends when the bus leaves the pad.
Aaron Kaden, acting fleet manager at KCI, said, “We are designing and building a modern new terminal and we want to make sure that its support infrastructure does not detract from the design. Inductive charging was not only an efficient solution in terms of monetary outlay and ongoing costs, but was the only system we found that can deliver energy without the traditional plug-in infrastructure.”
Andy Daga, founder and CEO of Momentum Dynamics, added, “We are proud to be a part of the new KCI terminal project, which, thanks to the visionary approach of the KCI leadership team, will enhance the beautiful terminal’s electric vehicle operations by providing invisible, automatic charging without disrupting passengers or drivers.”