Korea tests new EV technology at theme park

A South Korean theme park started operating an electric vehicle in what researchers here say is the first commercialization of a brand-new technology. The “On-line Electric Vehicle,” or OLEV, was launched at Seoul Grand Park as one of its seven shuttles. OLEV picks up electricity from power strips embedded five centimeters beneath the ground, instead of through rails or overhead wires, and recharges while running. The battery that it carries is one-fifth the size of those used by existing electric vehicles, and is used only in emergency situations. The state-funded Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which developed the vehicle, said the start of the OLEV’s operation marks the first successful commercialization of the technology. (March 10, 2010)