The Swedish Transportation Administration has another feather in it’s cap with the recent and successful debut of its road that charges vehicles as they drive. There are plans to expand this road to create a network of electrified roads, which would be a smart way of eliminating the need for impractical charging stations.
As icy weather is a harsh reality in the northern country, there have also been efforts made to employ a de-icing method for the rail.
Electric vehicles are super efficient but charging them can be challenging. This electrified road lets you kill two birds with one stone. It provides power to trucks and cars while they are in route.
The world’s first electrified road is part of the eroadarlanda project in Sweden. A charging arm drops into a rail slot that runs through the 2km road. Also, it keeps tabs on how much power each vehicle used.
The electrified road is divided into 50m sections, with an individual section powered only when a vehicle is above it. When a vehicle stops, the current is disconnected. The system is able to calculate the vehicle’s energy consumption, which enables electricity costs to be debited per vehicle and user.
The “dynamic charging” – as opposed to the use of roadside charging posts – means the vehicle’s batteries can be smaller, along with their manufacturing costs.
