Melbourne Company Turns Heads with Wireless Car Charging Technology

Melbourne tech company Lumen Freedom has been garnering attention from the automotive industry.  Using ground-breaking technology from REGATRON in the development and otdr testing, they have become the first organisation in the world to offer the Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) system certified for public use. TMG had the privilege of working with them on this project.

"Laurie and the team from TMG Test Equipment have been a pleasure to work with. The Regatron solution supplied (with Regatron happy to jump in with their deep knowledge of all things 'power' whenever required) has assisted in the development of our wireless electric vehicle charging system. We're excited about expanding our Regatron system from 64kW to 192kW as our business grows and capitalising on the modularity of their programmable power supplies."

– Innovation, Research and Technology Manager, Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging

In this blog, we will deep dive into the specifics of the new product developed by Lumen Freedom, its significance for the automotive industry, and the technology that is making it possible.

Who Is Lumen Freedom? 

Lumen Freedom is an Australian company based in Hallam, Victoria. Since 2016, they have been working with leading manufacturers and government bodies to develop a WEVC system for use in the commercial automotive industry. They recently became the first company in the world to have a WEVC system approved for public use by UL, the leading industry body.

What Is the Product?

As the automotive industry transitions to electric cars, developers are rushing to come up with innovative, practical tech solutions. Up until now, electric car batteries have had to be plugged in to recharge. While these can generally be plugged into standard, household power outlets, many manufacturers have been working to develop a more convenient, wireless solution.

This is exactly what Lumen Freedom has achieved. Working with American multinational WiTricity, they have developed a floor-mounted induction pad that charges your car while you are parked over it.

What Are the Benefits? 

The automotive industry as a whole is making the shift to electric cars, a much more environmentally friendly option than traditional vehicles, which rely on petroleum for fuel and emit high levels of harmful carbon dioxide. Lumen Freedom’s innovations are aimed at the burgeoning market for electric vehicles. The new wireless technology makes charging your electric car easier, especially for people with disabilities or limited mobility. It also reduces clutter and is more space efficient than existing wired technologies.

Where Does the Technology Come from? 

Lumen Freedom’s WEVC development and testing program uses the TC.GSS (latest model is the G5.CT), a fully bi-directional DC source/sink programmable power supply from REGATRON. Typical fields of application are as follows:    

• Battery and storage systems: Testing and cycling.
• Battery simulation: Testing of electrical power trains and auxiliary systems, simulation of automotive, airborne and naval onboard systems and all kinds of storage systems.
• Laboratory and testing plant use: Solar simulation, simulation of capacitive storage and fuel cells, EDLC test and simulation, railway onboard electrical test and engineering.

The TC.GSS series was developed, built, and tested in Switzerland by REGATRON AG. The product line ranges from 65-1500 VDC, with power categories of 20 kW and 32 kW available for each nominal power outlet.

What Does This Mean for Electric Cars Moving Forward?

Lumen Freedom believes that their WEVC will become standard for electric cars of the future, eventually usurping the plug-in model. They also foresee electric cars using smaller batteries as the energy efficiency of batteries increases, allowing for greater energy storage over longer periods.

Contact TMG Today

TMG has been providing cutting-edge testing equipment and related technologies to the electrical, telecommunications, transport, and utilities industries for over thirty years. We partner with world-leading manufacturers to bring our customers the most innovative products the industry has to offer. To find out more about any of our products or services, contact TMG today by phone or email.