The 2011 International Forum on Electric Vehicles (IFEV 2011) arranged by the Cho Chun Sik Graduate School for Green Transportation was held on November 17 and 18 at the KI Building. The forum was planned to open up valuable discussions on the future of green surface transportation in technological and economic perspectives. This year’s topics were on Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and shaped magnetic field in resonance.

President Richard Kleine of SAE International gave the keynote speech, which reviewed and presented an approach to the fundamental challenges for the electronic vehicle industry both short- and long-term. A panel discussion was followed by three sub-sessions on different subjects ranging from applications for wireless power supply for the electronic vehicle using the WPT to their market potential. A demonstration ride of the On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) was provided at the ICC Campus after the discussion.

A surprise major event of the forum was the announcement of OLEV’s successful commercialization in the United States. OLEV has a dynamic on-road recharging system, which KAIST has been developing for years in response to the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the dependence on petroleum. It solved the existing electric vehicle’s problems such as its battery capacity, weight and price, and enhanced their economic feasibility and safety. Owing to its excellence, OLEV was named as one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2010” by Time magazine.

According to President Kleine, OLEV will start operating in McAllen, Texas starting 2013 when the city’s facilities are completed. A $1.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and an additional $211,000 from McAllen will fund the project. According to a city fact sheet, the introduction of the OLEV system is going to reduce energy and fuel costs by 80 percent compared to that of diesel buses.

Kleine estimated that the OLEV market will grow to compete with the traditional electric vehicles market in 10 to 15 years. On OLEV’s prospect, he emphasized that standardization is critical for success in the global market. Finally, Kleine mentioned that increasing the number of charging stations is crucial for traditional electric vehicles.