The world's first 'highway where EVs can be wirelessly charged while driving' will soon be built



Electric vehicles (EVs) are inferior to fossil fuel vehicles in terms of range and refueling time (charging time). A solution to this problem is being explored: charging from the road while driving. In the United States, the world's first 'highway where EVs can be charged while driving' is expected to be born in Indiana.

Building the first highway segment in the US that can charge electric vehicles big and small as they drive - Purdue University News

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2024/Q1/building-the-first-highway-segment-in-the-us-that-can-charge-electric-vehicles-big-and-small-as-they-drive.html



INDOT: Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer

https://www.in.gov/indot/emerging-mobility/dynamic-wireless-power-transfer/



One example of the idea of charging EVs from the road is the 'electric road' project that was tested in Sweden in 2018. This involved attaching something similar to a train pantograph to the EV, which would charge it by touching it to electrode lines embedded in the road.

Sweden is developing 'electric roads' that can be powered while driving on public roads, and the cost of introducing them to roads and existing cars is also low - GIGAZINE



Since then, research into contactless wireless charging technology has been progressing in Israel, Stanford University, and other institutions.

'Technology to wirelessly charge electric cars while they're in motion' under development at Stanford University - GIGAZINE



The project was led by Purdue University, a university in Indiana, and the Indiana Department of Transportation. Purdue researchers designed a wireless charging system that would send power to a receiving coil mounted under the vehicle by laying special lanes under the concrete.

The project has been underway since 2018, and in 2022, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, who attended the United Nations Environment Conference COP27 in Egypt, said, 'Thanks to Purdue University engineers and technicians, we are developing the world's first wireless charging highway testbed.'

The Purdue University research team: (from left) John Haddock, Nadia Glitza, Dionysios Aliprantis, and Steve Pekarek.


Photo by Purdue University/Vincent Walter

Starting in spring 2024, the system will be installed on a total of 400 meters of highways 52 and 231 in West Lafayette, Indiana, and tests will be conducted using large trucks.

If all goes well, they plan to 'electrify' parts of the interstate over the next four years and conduct further testing.

The 'electric road' has been proven harmless to humans and is equipped with safety technology including shut-off sensors that are only active during testing.

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in Note,   Hardware,   Ride, Posted by logc_nt