Italy Will Get The First EV Charging Highway In The World

Many challenges have to be overcome to completely move drivers around the world to electric vehicles. One of the biggest challenges is the charging infrastructure. We have to build enough chargers to support everyone having electric vehicles and increase the charging speed. As it is, a full charge for some electric vehicles takes hours.Many automakers and researchers see the potential for future charging of electric vehicles using highways able to charge the EV as it drives. While that may sound like science fiction, Italy is set to get the first charging Highway for electric vehicles. The roadway will be deployed on the stretch of road in northern Italy. The system was developed by a company from Israel called ElectReon Wireless.

The technology the company developed allows the charging of EV batteries as the vehicle drives along specially constructed roads with electrification equipment embedded inside. The first testing for the system is happening in Italy on a kilometer-long stretch of highway that runs between Milan and Brescia. ElectReon is building infrastructure for the stretch of highway by installing copper coils under the asphalt.

Energy from those coils will be transferred wirelessly to the vehicle batteries while it rolls down the road using magnetic induction. The charging system does require a control unit to be located on the side of the road and the receiver installed in the chassis of each vehicle participating in the trial. If the trial is successful, it could mean fewer electric charging stations and no need for EVs to stop and plug in to charge in the future.

If all major roads could be outfitted with this technology at some point in the future, it could mean the end of waiting to charge an electric vehicle. The electrified roadway could also mean the elimination of one major bottleneck to the adoption of EVs worldwide.