The city of Detroit has the first public wireless charging road for electric vehicles in the United States, which was installed under a road so that the process can be carried out while the vehicles are circulating.
The copper inductive charging system allows vehicles equipped with receivers to charge their batteries while driving, idling or parked on top of these devices.
The segment, about 400 meters long, will be used to test and improve the technology before making it available to the public within a few years, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, cited by the Associated Press (AP).
The demonstrations took place Wednesday at the Michigan Central Innovation District, a hub for advancing technologies and programs that address barriers to mobility.
This district is also where Ford Motor Co. is refurbishing the former Michigan Central Train Station to develop autonomous vehicles.
The technology belongs to Electreon, which develops wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles and is based in Israel.
The company has contracts for similar roads in Israel, Sweden, Italy and Germany.
This pilot project, implemented in Michigan, was announced in 2021 by the governor of this state, Gretchen Whitmer.
For Stefan Tongur, vice president of business development at Electreon, “this project paves the way towards a future of zero-emission mobility, where electric vehicles are the norm, not the exception.”
When a vehicle with a receiver approaches the charging segments, the rails under the road transfer electricity through a magnetic field, charging the vehicle’s battery. This system is only activated when a vehicle with a receiver passes over it.
Tongur stressed to reporters that the road is safe for pedestrians, drivers and animals.
The State Department of Transportation and Electreon have made a five-year commitment to develop the electric highway system.
No decisions have been made about revenue models in Michigan, Tongur added, assuring that the system is intelligent and knows who is a “verified and authentic” user. Those who are not verified may receive a fine.
As the popularity of electric vehicles rises in the United States, the Biden administration has made its plan for half a million electric vehicle charging stations a flagship part of its infrastructure investment.
Source: TSF
