Israeli company Electreon has announced it is planning to build the United States’ first road stretch with built-in electric vehicle wireless charging. The pilot project is set to be finished next year in Detroit, Michigan. Initially it will be a mile long.
The road will have a sub-surface network of charging coils connected to the power grid. To benefit from it, passing EVs would need receivers that pick up the charge wirelessly as they drive along the road. The coil network would not emit any power unless an active receiver demands it. This renders crossing people and animals entirely safe. The system is modular, with each coil connected to the grid individually. This prevents potholes from disrupting the entire charging network.
An Electreon representative said that bus routes would be great testers of the novel charge system: they are predictably repetitive. Areas prone to traffic congestion would also work well, with vehicles loitering over charging coils for significant periods.
Chariot Motors is partner to Electreon in a similar project being tested in Sweden’s Gotland. This features a Chariot ultracapacitor electric bus equipped to tap a subsurface grid. The vehicle is Europe’s first e-bus to test this innovative charging method.
Source: Techspot
