Last May, researchers introduced a method that could make charging electric vehicles while driving a reality. This technology is now here and will soon be used on a U.S. road, according to a press release by the Israeli provider of wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology Electreon. The development may forever change how electric cars travel, giving them a much-needed boost.
The first wireless EV road in the U.S.
The first-ever wireless EV road in the U.S. that will be located in Detroit, Michigan will be about a mile long and will be operational next year. Electreon has already implemented similar roads in Sweden, Israel, and Italy and is now working in the U.S. with carmaker Ford. The new road will aim to service Detroit’s Michigan Central Terminal, an abandoned train station that Ford is transforming into its “mobility innovation district,” a 30-acre walkable community set to offer flexible workspaces, hands-on labs, and innovation studios.
“We are excited to enter the U.S. market and collaborate with industry leaders to further enhance the country’s mobility ecosystem,” said in a statement Stefan Tongur, vice president of business development, for Electreon in the U.S. “Michigan’s automotive industry roots built a foundation for mobility innovation and we’re thrilled to join this community of experts. We are looking forward to collaborating with departments of transportation, state, and municipal agencies, and automotive and mobility industry innovators in Michigan, California, and New York on charging infrastructure that’s vehicle agnostic and can be included in any electric vehicle. Our technology has the potential to support electric fleets of all types from public transit buses to delivery vans and long-haul trucks for logistics.”
Inductive charging
The new technology, dubbed inductive charging, will charge electric vehicles whether they’re in motion or standing still. This process will work by transferring a magnetic frequency from metal coils that are buried underneath the road to some special receivers featured on the lower part of the EVs.
Gas cars and those not equipped with this advanced feature will be able to use the road as a simple normal stretch of land. The road, however, may ease worries that people have about EV charging by reassuring them that their cars will never run out of power. If adopted by more regions, we could see a significant rise in EVs throughout U.S. soil, something that Biden’s administration has been aiming for. Could this new road pave the way for a greener more sustainable country? Time will tell.