Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have deployed three eco-friendly experimental electric trams in Seoul Grand Park this summer. The three new electric trams run on the 2.2 km-long route in the park, and can carry up to 97 people at speeds of between 20~40 km per hour.

The trams, which will be trialed and tested at Seoul Grand Park, do not require any overhead wires or cables. The trams draw energy through non-contact magnetic charging from power strips embedded in the road. The power strips are only required in 400 meters of the 2.2-kilometer (1.4-mile) route, or about 18-20 percent of the total distance.

The Open Leading Electric Vehicle & System (OLEV) project began in 2009 to look for a way of resolving the battery problems of electric cars. KAIST came up with the idea of supplying electricity directly to the cars instead of depending solely on onboard battery power.

The Korean system has developed technology that was pioneered in California in the 1990s. The technological concept behind the idea has been around for about 100 years and is used in charging electric toothbrushes and razors.

The tram collects electricity from power cables buried underground through a non-contact magnetic charging method. The power collection equipment installed underneath the OLEV tram collects electricity from underground cables buried underneath the road surface and distributes the power either to operate the vehicle or to recharge or maintain battery back up.

To take advantage of the expertise, OLEV developed mainstay technologies such as the Shaped Magnetic Field In Resonance that allows an electric tram to collect the magnetic fields and convert them into electricity or Segment Technology that safely manages the stream of electromagnetic waves using an automatic power-on/shut-down system avoiding accidental exposure from electromagnetic waves for pedestrians.

The roadway is embedded with underground recharging strips that are divided into several segments so that, when a tram drives over a segment, a sensor in the segment is turned on, and the tram above the segment picks up electricity. Because charging occurs while the vehicle in moving there is no need to establish fixed charging stations or have the vehicle inoperative when recharging.

The OLEV constantly receives electric power whether running or stopped and as a result, OLEV removes the need to equip the vehicle with heavy, bulky batteries. The OLEV's battery is one-fifth of the size of batteries currently installed in electric vehicles.

KAIST says that the underground power lines only need to be situated in 20 percent of the total route such as at tram stops and intersections.

The introduction of the OLEV train is the second step in KAIST’s roadmap that aims to result in the eventual commercialization of the technology. The next step involves the development of practical prototype technology for OLEV (2011), followed by the development of standard prototype technology (2012) and finally the introduction of a commercial product to the market in 2013.

KAIST expects the OLEV technology to be used in many industries from transportation to electronics, aviation, maritime transportation, robotics, and leisure. There are several ongoing international collaborative projects that aim to take advantage of OLEV-developed technology in areas such as transportation in inner city commuter systems (tram and bus) and airport shuttle services in Malaysia, US, Germany, and Denmark.