Intis: Inductive Charging for E-Scooters

Intis is one of the driving forces behind inductive charging solutions and is now launching EasyCharge for e-scooters into practical use. With EasyCharge, a wireless inductive charging station for electric scooters has been certified for the first time. This eliminates the tedious task of plugging into a power outlet or taking the battery to charge later— and for rental companies—the time-consuming, labor-intensive process of collecting e-scooters in city centers for overnight battery charging. In conjunction with the Metz Moover, Intis has now received road approval for EasyCharge.

Prerequisites for this included electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests, conducted by a renowned testing institute, and a CE conformity declaration. The testing institute has now successfully approved the inductive charging station. Intis EasyCharge is thus the world's first and so far only certified inductive charging station for e-scooters. Its approval for vehicles from other major manufacturers in the segment is expected soon.

First customer: The Bavarian State Ministry in Munich

One of the first EasyCharge users is the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction, and Transport in Munich. The Metz Moovers used by the State Ministry since 2019 have already been retrofitted by Intis and can now be charged automatically and contact-free. In June, a 14-day exhibition on inductive charging was held in the foyer of the State Ministry, and since then, the Metz Moovers with the Intis EasyCharge charging plate have been in daily use.

Modular design – for easy expansion

The EasyCharge in- and outdoor system has a modular design. Up to fifteen 1.2 meter long and 0.6 meter wide charging plates for as many e-scooters can be connected. The scooters simply need to be rolled into the designated recesses on the charging plate with their two wheels—done. Then the automatic charging process begins. According to Intis, the inductive energy supply offers several advantages: The charging stations are maintenance-free, unobtrusive, and can be used almost anywhere with robust ground plates. Additionally, this form of energy uptake is said to be particularly gentle on the longevity of the battery.

Huge bonus in scooter environmental friendliness: collection is no longer necessary

Inductive charging also offers high vandalism protection and accessibility. Parking spaces can always also be charging stations for e-scooters. Once the scooter is on the EasyCharge charging plate, power flows. At the same time, the evening collection and overnight charging are no longer necessary. Without “collectors,” the environmental balance of these practical two-wheelers improves significantly. Fewer batteries are needed, and battery swapping stations become a thing of the past. The charging stations can also be powered by locally generated wind or solar energy. Overall, system operating costs decrease significantly while environmental compatibility and availability of these micro-vehicles increase.

Currently, charging is done with 100 W per e-scooter. The charging performance is only determined by the battery’s load capacity, with charging times rarely exceeding three hours. The “grid-to-vehicle efficiency” for inductive charging is at least 90% at nominal transfer power.

Since Intis EasyCharge is IoT-enabled (IoT = Internet of Things), the charging stations can also provide operators with a plethora of information on battery and vehicle condition; including statistics on vehicle usage and much more.

Passenger Car Applications Also Planned

Outside of micromobility, Intis is already providing solutions with transmission power of up to 60kW for industrial applications. For charging electric passenger cars, Intis is ready and only waiting for the finalization of standards for the use of this technology in public spaces.

What Does This Mean?

In micromobility, the Intis EasyCharge inductive charging system makes sense and could also promote new business models in the future. Intis mentions fleet operators and rental companies for e-bikes and cargo bikes. Generally, inductive charging is more practical for scooters and sharing providers than for private use.