Michigan claims it has won the race to build the first wireless electric-vehicle-charging public road in the U.S.
On a quarter-mile strip of 14th Street in Detroit, the Michigan DOT and Israel-based charging technology company Electreon demonstrated an electric Ford Transit van being charged as it moved along the asphalt corridor.
Before the road was paved, Electreon’s inductive charging coils were installed. The copper coils, later covered by asphalt, transfer electricity wirelessly through a magnetic field. The energy then transfers to batteries via a special Electreon receiver installed under the vehicle. The charging can occur while the vehicle is stopped or moving over the road. The electricity is provided to the coils by control units, similar to electrical boxes, placed inconspicuously on the roadside or underground.
The company says the coils are only activated when a vehicle with the receiver passes over them. It says the road is safe for drivers, pedestrians and wildlife. Vehicles have been tested at speeds of up to 50 mph, but the system can support higher speeds, according to Electreon.
The company says the inductive coils do not affect the road’s durability.
An electric Ford Transit van is wirelessly charged as it drives on the EV-charging section of 14th Street in Detroit.Michigan DOT
Electreon and MDOT will work with partners, including Ford’s Michigan Central innovation hub, to further experiment with the road to “demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs,” Tongur adds.
