Aspectus PR, a global communications and PR agency focusing on financial services, energy, engineering and B2B technology and events has been appointed by Ampium, a pioneer in Road Powered Electric Vehicles (RPEVs), to manage its PR communications strategy and media relations in the UK.

Aspectus will be supporting Ampium as it brings its revolutionary contactless RPEV technology to market and looks to gain commercial tractions and secure further private investment.

Ampium is a technology start-up based in Cambridge (UK), whose founders have a successful history of innovation in developing battery charging and inductive and power electronics, together with a broad range of domestic and commercial electronics and automotive products and systems. The company’s in-road technology uses wires buried in the road to enable drive-along contactless powering and employs inductive coupling. This works much in the same way as an induction hob heats food, but instead, electricity is derived from an on-board pick-up coil to drive an electric motor.

“Supplying grid electricity to moving vehicles to provide cruise motive power eliminates the need to carry heavy and expensive batteries for electrical energy storage,” says Andrew Howe, Ampium co-founder and former technology director with RLtec, a Global Cleantech 100 company. “We aim to bring our revolutionary products to market in 2013 and chose Aspectus to manage our PR due to their proven track record in presenting ground-breaking cleantech firms as a viable option to potential partners. Aspectus are adept at communicating the benefits of complex technology to a wide range of audiences and obtaining top-tier coverage in the media.”

Ampium’s contactless RPEV fuel option can be fitted to electric, hybrid and fossil fuel powered cars and vans and will propel them at UK legal speeds. Early adopters of Ampium’s technology are anticipated to be owners of ‘bounded’ systems such as bus routes, warehousing and airports. Recently, the company successfully demonstrated the transfer of electric power between an RPEV-enabled road and a moving hybrid car, transferring enough power to provide 20-30kW of mechanical power, but with less than 15kg of mass in the components. RPEVs on RPEV infrastructure would therefore provide lower fuel cost and zero tail pipe emission advantages with significantly lower on-car cost and weight.

“Ampium aims to make RPEVs a practical reality for road users everywhere and we are delighted to have been brought on board at what is a pivotal moment for the company,” said Alastair Turner, managing director, Aspectus PR. “The Government levies £35 billion annually of taxes from road users and investing a small fraction of this back into RPEV infrastructure would create jobs and drive significant economic activity in the UK. We will be supporting Ampium with a campaign targeting top-tier, key trade and vertical media to communicate the message that Ampium’s contactless RPEV technology can help reduce carbon emissions and ease demand on electricity distribution and transmission networks, promote grid stability and a sustainable fuel supply in the future.”