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Winduction, a Swiss startup spun off from ETH Zurich, is developing an inductive charging system that places coils in specially developed bus tires and charging plates in the road. It has demonstrated the system and is building test infrastructure in Winterthur; a first pilot is planned for 2028, while projected savings remain under study.
Swiss startup Winduction, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, is developing a system that charges electric buses wirelessly through coils integrated into specially developed tires. The company has demonstrated the technology and is building a test lab and bus stop in Winterthur, with a first pilot planned for 2028. The approach could change how electric buses recharge, but its expected cost savings and performance in regular service have not yet been established.
Winduction’s system uses induction coils in a plate set into the road and a second set integrated into a bus tire. That differs from common roadway charging designs, which place the vehicle-side coil underneath the bus. Winduction says putting the coils in the wheel reduces the distance electricity must travel between the road and vehicle.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Sylvain Fricker said the system achieves “an efficiency of over 90 percent” in transferring energy from the ground into the vehicle. That figure is the company’s reported result; the source report does not specify the testing conditions or provide independent verification. Winduction chief executive Laurin Schwitter said the system can charge during short stops, potentially allowing buses to use smaller batteries.
The tire itself requires new engineering. According to Schwitter, conventional bus tires contain steel belts that would interact with the magnetic field and turn much of the power into heat. Winduction is working with partners on a steel-free tire for the system. The company demonstrated the technology on a bus route between Zurich Airport and the Oerlikon district, and is now building facilities for further testing in Winterthur.
How Roadside Charging Could Change Bus Fleets
If the system works reliably in everyday service, charging buses at stops could reduce the need for long depot charging periods and potentially lower the battery capacity required for a route. Winduction says those changes could reduce vehicle purchase and operating costs, but the size of any savings depends on the route and has not yet been confirmed by a completed feasibility study.
The company’s example route illustrates the proposed operating model: it says buses could charge at two of the route’s 24 stops, accumulating three hours of charging over 16 hours of operation. Winduction contrasts this with the current buses’ reported five hours of simultaneous overnight charging in the garage. These are company estimates for the route, not results from a fully deployed commercial service.
For transit agencies, the potential appeal is operational as well as financial: charging during a scheduled stop could reduce dependence on depot chargers and make smaller batteries practical. Whether that benefit outweighs the cost of installing road plates, developing specialized tires and maintaining the equipment remains to be tested.
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From ETH Zurich to a Bus Route
Winduction grew out of ETH Zurich, the Swiss technical university. Its founders are pursuing inductive, or wireless, charging for buses rather than relying only on plug-in charging at a depot. In conventional inductive arrangements described in the report, coils in the road transfer power to a receiver under the vehicle. Winduction’s founders argue that the underbody gap can reduce transfer efficiency and varies across vehicle models.
Schwitter said the company believes buses can be operated more cheaply if they receive wireless charging regularly during service. Its route calculations compare the proposed setup with existing depot charging, but a feasibility study with transport operators is still quantifying potential savings. The company is also in discussions with several Swiss operators, according to the report.
Winduction’s next development phase is intended to bring the system’s components together in a form suited to industry use. The company says it wants to build a fully converted electric bus that can operate beyond its private test area. The planned 2028 pilot would be a later step, not evidence that the system is already in routine transit use.
“We believe that electric buses can be operated much more cheaply if they are charged wirelessly and regularly during operation.”
— Laurin Schwitter, Winduction CEO
inductive charging system for buses
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Performance and Savings Still Under Study
Several key questions remain open. The report does not detail the conditions behind Winduction’s efficiency claim, how the system performs across different weather and road conditions, or how durable the specially developed tires and charging plates are in regular bus service. It also does not provide independent test results or a commercial cost estimate.
The company’s route comparison is not yet a confirmed operational or financial outcome. Schwitter said a feasibility study with transport operators is quantifying potential savings, which he said vary by route. The report also does not say how much roadside infrastructure would cost, how the system would affect schedules, or whether it can serve multiple bus models.
steel-free bus tires for wireless charging
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Winterthur Tests and 2028 Pilot Plans
Winduction is building a test lab and test bus stop in Winterthur to support real-world development. The company says its next phase will combine the system’s components into an industry-oriented package and produce a converted electric bus capable of use outside its private testing area.
The founders plan to carry out the first pilot in 2028, while discussions with several Swiss transport operators are underway. The source report does not identify a confirmed pilot partner, a specific route for that pilot, or a schedule for publishing test results. Those details, along with independent evidence of efficiency and operating costs, will help show whether the concept can move from demonstration to practical transit service.
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Key Questions
How does Winduction’s bus charging system work?
It uses induction coils in a plate set into the road and matching coils built into a specially developed tire. The system transfers energy wirelessly when a bus is positioned over a charging plate.
Why put charging coils in the tires?
Winduction says locating the vehicle-side coils in the wheel reduces the distance between the road and the receiver compared with placing coils beneath the bus. The company argues that a shorter gap can improve energy transfer.
Has the system entered regular bus service?
No. Winduction has demonstrated the technology on a route between Zurich Airport and Oerlikon, and it is building test infrastructure in Winterthur. The company plans its first pilot for 2028.
Are the projected cost savings confirmed?
No. Winduction says its calculations point to savings compared with depot charging, but it says the amount depends on the route. A feasibility study with transport operators is still quantifying the potential savings.
Why does Winduction need a new type of tire?
The company says conventional bus tires contain steel belts that could interact with the charging system’s magnetic field and generate heat. It is working with partners on a steel-free tire for the technology.
Source: rss
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