Israeli wireless charging startup Electreon partnered with the state of Michigan to develop a one-mile-long road that can charge electric vehicle batteries while driving. According to Autoblog, the company will launch the inaugural real test of the “smart road” technology later this year.
The imminent testing will apparently signify the first-ever public launch of such a project in the United States, potentially reducing range anxiety among EV owners.
“You can go longer range. You don’t need to have a huge battery, which drives costs down, and it makes it easier for the grid. At the end of the day, if we want to reach a high level of [EV] adoption, … charging is the main barrier.”
Stefan Tongur, Electreon US’ VP of Business Development
How does it work?
According to CBS News, Electreon embeds special coils in the pavement to transmit magnetic frequencies to its charging pad below an electric vehicle. This technology essentially charges the battery whenever the EV drives or stops along the developed pavement owing to installed receiver plates beneath the vehicle’s body.
Simply put, Electreon’s smart road development works similarly to the wireless charging pads people use to charge mobile phones.
According to the press release published in February 2022, Electreon will be able to complete part of the wireless charging road system. That said, it aims to launch the innovation for use as early as 2024.
“Michigan is aggressively rolling out various charging solutions and we need to continue to stay ahead of the technology curve. A wireless in-road charging system will be revolutionary for electric vehicles, potentially extending their charge without having to stop.”
Transportation Director Paul Ajegba asserted in a 2022 statement
Significance
The lack of sufficient and reliable charging infrastructure remains among the top barriers to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. According to Cox Automotive, drivers still worry over charger shortages amid the surging EV sales in Q3 2023 (7.9 market share).
In addition, the Yahoo Finance-Ipsos poll revealed that 77% of the respondents hesitate to join the EV uptake due to the lack of public and home charging infrastructures.
Apart from the lack of EV chargers, PwC industrial and automotive principal Akshay Singh asserted that about 30% of units malfunction unpredictably.
“They’re not reliable — that’s a big, big factor. The problem is that if you look at a lot of the [charging] companies, they don’t have a robust maintenance program in place.”
Akshay Singh, PwC industrial and automotive principal
All that said, Electreon’s efforts to advance the US charging technology with its road-based wireless charging for electric vehicles will significantly contribute to addressing these problems mentioned above.
Challenges
Despite the significant advantages dynamic charging tech offers, its implementation remains extremely expensive.
According to the report, launching such projects will require an investment of $1.2 million per mile. That said, major government support is crucial for the company to succeed in implementing the innovative driving technology in Detroit. Congress reportedly proposed a bill to allocate $250 million in grants for wireless charging initiatives for electric vehicles.
Apart from that, Electreon has also reportedly launched its technology in various countries, including Israel, Germany, and Italy. It also had a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shandong Provincial Government in China.
