Rotterdam is working towards green transport with no strings attached – the municipality has begun a trial to recharge electric cars wirelessly, reports the AD on Tuesday.

Three city companies are beginning a trial after two years of preparatory work, using specially converted vehicles.

‘This could be an ideal way to recharge batteries, especially at taxi ranks and bus stops,’ Hans Boot, of Engie Services Nederland told the AD.

The charging system works using an induction plate and coil, which transmits electricity to a car battery sitting above the plate, and is activated with a smartphone or tablet app. Boot said he expects that in future cars would even be able to be recharged on roads equipped with the technology.

Rotterdam is determined to reduce its carbon emissions, and this trial is part of the effort. Pex Langenberg, head of sustainability, said: ‘We already have a lot of charging points but perhaps in future, we can install some of these plates to make charging as easy as possible. Compare it with an electric toothbrush. You put it down, and it charges up.’

At the end of September, Rotterdam celebrated opening its 2000^th charging point, and it is aiming to have 3,600 by the end of 2018.

Subsidies

But on Sunday evening, organisations including the motoring organisation ANWB, environmental group Natuur & Milieu, technical universities and electric car industry firms, warned that electric car use could splutter to a standstill when subsidies are withdrawn. In October, environment minister Henk Kamp said he was not convinced about the effectiveness of subsidies for buying electric cars in a letter to MPs.