Korea's KAIST bus-train is an EV with a twist

The Korea Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST) has developed an On Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) which draws current through non-contact magnetic strips embedded in the road at an amusement park in Gwacheon, Korea. The train-looking bus sucks power from strips during about 400 meters of the total 1.4 mile route (18-20% of the total distance). If the system proves successful, Korea will build a larger system in Seoul for buses.

The exciting thing about this technology is it migrates the cost for the vehicle’s technolgies into the development costs of roads. If electric vehicles on the roads could draw power while gliding over magnetic strips, there will be less necessity for expensive, heavy battery cells in the vehicles. The result could be EVs with batteries that are only 20% as large and powerful, and cut the cost of production in half.

Here’s a thought: Remember these RC cars you had as a kid? Imagine real race tracks with embedded strips allowing your EV racecar to grab voltage from the pavement. The results could be pretty awesome as you know from those RC micromachines that did loops.