An Israeli startup plans to build about a mile of pavement in Michigan that will wirelessly charge electric vehicles as drivers pass by, marking the first such infrastructure project in the U.S.
Beit Yanai-based Electreon won a contract with the state to build the road system near downtown Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday.
Electreon uses special coils embedded in the pavement that send magnetic frequencies to a loading platform under a vehicle. When an electric car travels along this sidewalk or stops on the road, the battery is charged. The approach is similar to how wireless charging pads send juice to your cell phone. According to Electreon, coils do not react or harm gas vehicles.
The Electreon road in the motor city will be able to charge all electric vehicles, including electric buses. Part of the system will be completed and ready for use next year, the company said in a statement. State officials did not disclose how much the project will cost, but said the state Department of Transportation will provide $ 1.9 million and that Electreon will pay the rest.
“Michigan is aggressively implementing several cargo solutions and we need to stay ahead of the technology curve,” Transportation Director Paul Ajegba said in a statement Tuesday. “A wireless charging system on the road will be revolutionary for electric vehicles, potentially expanding their charging without having to stop.”
Electreon has been testing its technology in Italy since December and has other tests underway in Germany and Sweden. The company signed a $ 9.4 million deal in October to bring its technology to Tel Aviv’s electric buses.
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Electric vehicle drivers in the U.S. typically charge their trips by parking at a charging station or at home and connecting a cable. Electreon and other startups believe this method is inefficient and are creating new ways for drivers to charge without having to connect and wait.
Massachusetts startup Sparkcharge has developed a portable electric vehicle charger that fits in the trunk of a car and can provide a full charge. The company also offers another service where an employee will come to the place of the driver of an electric vehicle and charge it.
U.S. carmakers are expected to sell 6.9 million electric vehicles by 2025, up from 1.4 million in 2020, according to S&P Global.
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