UK wireless charging tech firm Aircharge makes its debut on London bus routes

The UK tech firm behind the wireless charging pads found in Starbucks, McDonalds and Costa is going mobile, with its latest expansion to debut on London bus routes.

Partnering up with British bus manufacturer Optare, Aircharge charging points will be initially be available on Green Line routes operating between London and various airports, including Luton and Heathrow, as well as other routes across the country.

New transport areas, such as an upcoming deal with a major train operator, will also be announced in the next few months.

Aircharge chief executive Steve Liquorish told City A.M. the business targets "anywhere where there's major dwell time" and it's not too crowded, which is why you probably won't see them popping up on central Tube lines any time soon.

"If you think about wireless charging, it's a shift in behaviour. Five or six o'clock is battery anxiety time, when people are searching for power," he said.

"We drink water throughout the day, little and often, to stay hydrated, and it's the same with wireless charging. If you're on the bus for half an hour, why wouldn't you put your phone down to charge while you're en route and grab an extra 15 or 20 per cent?"

Headquartered in Oxfordshire, Aircharge is also beginning to expand internationally by opening a few offices in the US. 

Liquorish said: "We're a very UK-centric company, with all our design and software engineers based here. But we've quickly started to grab hold of global aspirations, and that's where we see ourselves now."

Users can open the Aircharge app to see where their nearest wireless charging hotspot is, which Liquorish added is a good way of visualising how the firm has permeated the market.

The news comes as wireless charging rises in popularity with smartphone manufacturers, after Apple, Google and Samsung all released products with wireless charging compatibility in recent months.