A quarter-mile section of a Detroit street now charges electric vehicles that pass over it in what’s said to be the first such charging roadway in the U.S.
The section of 14th Street in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood has been electrified via inductive charging in a partnership between the city and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Roads have been outfitted with charging capabilit in parts of Asia, and at least one is planned in Europe, where Sweden is mapping out an charging-road system.
Israel-based Electreon was awarded the contract to electrify a combined mile of Detroit streets, a quarter of which is has been finished. The city and the MDOT opened the section on Wednesday, calling it a “milestone in the future of mobility.”
Via a magnetic field, inductive-charging coils under the street power up EVs carrying Electreon receivers, the entities said in a press release. The technology works either when the vehicle is in motion or parked. They’ll observe how the project works in order to test and perfect the technology before extending it to a broader system of streets.
Electreon Vice President of Business Development Stefan Tongur said the project can help increase EV adoption, which has been slow to take off among the general consumer population in the U.S., partly due to limited charging infrastructure and especially in less urban areas.
“… we'll demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs. This project paves the way for a zero-emission mobility future, where EVs are the norm, not the exception."
