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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWinduction is developing a wireless charging system that transfers energy from a plate in the road to coils in a specially developed bus tyre. ETH Zurich reported a prototype demonstration in October 2026, but a passenger-service trial and independent validation of the company’s efficiency claim have not been established in the ETH reports cited here.
How Winduction’s wheel-based charging works
A charging plate embedded in the road contains primary induction coils connected to the electricity grid. When a bus stops with a wheel over the plate, the coils create a magnetic field. Receiver coils integrated into a specially developed tyre collect energy and pass it to the vehicle battery. ETH Zurich’s 5 October 2026 report says locating the receiver in the wheel brings it closer to the road plate than a receiver mounted beneath the bus, reducing the transmission distance.
The idea is suited to opportunity charging: buses could collect energy during planned stops rather than relying only on charging at a depot. The charging plate still needs a grid connection, and the vehicle must stop in a position that aligns its wheel with the plate.
Why the system needs a specially developed tyre
According to Winduction’s founders, conventional bus tyres contain steel belts for stability. In the company’s account, those belts interact with the magnetic field and turn much of the transferred power into heat instead of delivering it to the vehicle. Winduction says it is working with partners on a steel-free tyre.
ETH’s reports do not name a tyre supplier or a retail tyre model. They also do not establish a compatible retrofit kit, so a standard bus tyre or commercially available charging product should not be assumed to work with the system.
What has been demonstrated—and what remains a goal
ETH reported a prototype demonstration on 5 October 2026: a prototype bus was positioned with its rear wheel over a charging plate, and its battery indicator rose without a cable. That demonstrates the charging concept in a prototype setting; it does not by itself establish routine operation on a public route.
In a 3 March 2026 interview, CEO and co-founder Laurin Schwitter described converting the rear wheel of a second-hand Postauto to build a full-scale functional model. He said, “Our goal is pilot operation on a real bus route.” ETH’s later report describes the prototype demonstration, but the two reports do not confirm a passenger-service pilot date or an independent trial on a real route.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret Winduction’s efficiency and cost claims
Winduction reports energy-transfer efficiency above 90% from the ground into the vehicle, as relayed by ETH Zurich in its October 2026 report and the March 2026 interview. This is a company-reported figure, not an independently verified in-service measurement in those reports. It should not be read as proof of end-to-end operating efficiency across charging equipment, the vehicle, and a bus route.
The proposed economic case is that frequent short charging stops could allow buses to use smaller batteries and potentially reduce purchase and operating costs. Those are expected benefits, not established fleet results: the cited ETH material gives no measured battery-size reduction, route performance, or fleet-cost savings.
Quick Recap
What the reports establish for bus operators
- Charging layout: a road plate supplies energy to receiver coils in the wheel, rather than to a receiver mounted under the chassis.
- Vehicle requirement: the concept depends on a specially developed steel-free tyre, which ETH’s reports do not identify as a retail product.
- Development status: ETH reported a prototype demonstration in October 2026; the sources do not confirm a passenger-service deployment or route trial.
- Performance evidence: the above-90% transfer-efficiency figure comes from Winduction, as reported by ETH, rather than an independent in-service assessment.
- Commercial case: smaller batteries and lower costs remain expected benefits, with no quantified fleet outcomes in the cited reports.
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