A new electric bus prototype
doesn't just pick up passengers at its bus stops; it also picks up a charge for its battery. Unlike its public transportation contemporaries, the electric "Aggie bus" at Utah State University has no overhead wires. Nor does it need to be plugged into a power source. Instead, the battery receives a five-kilowatt wireless boost from a charge plate installed at each bus stop. With consistent routes and frequent stops, the bus is able to charge as it goes rather than requiring a big battery on board to stockpile an entire day's worth of power. The induction set-up requires that a transformer be split between the bus and the charge plate. When the driver pulls over at a stop, the two halves of the transformers align, and five kilowatts of energy are zapped from the plate to the bus. Nikola Tesla first demonstrated this wireless energy ...
