Sweden Opens First Road That Charges EVs As They Drive

When it comes to EVs, one of the things that could definitely push the electric car mainstream is a road that can charge the cars while they drive. This would guarantee virtually unlimited driving distances. Sweden has announced the world's first electrified road that can charge the batteries of cars and trucks that drive on it.

The road is short spanning only about 1.2 miles and features an electric rail that is embedded into the surface of the public road near Stockholm. While this first stretch is short, Sweden has already worked up a national map for future expansion to bring the electrified road everywhere. Sweden has a stated goal of achieving independence from fossil fuels by 2030.

The road can transfer power to the EV using a pair of tracks in the road and a movable arm attached to the bottom of the vehicle. The system seems akin to how electric trains grab power from cables above them with movable arms. If the EV swings out to overtake, the arm is automatically disconnected.

The road has 50-meter sections with the electric rails and the rails are only powered when a vehicle is above them. If the vehicle stops, the power is disconnected. The system isn't free, it is able to figure out how much power the car used and charge the driver.

The company behind the road is eRoadArlanda and it claims that current vehicles and roadways can be adapted to use the technology. The cost of electrifying roads is about €1 per kilometer. That is expensive, but the company says it is 50 times less than the cost to build an urban tram line.

SOURCE: The Guardian