Wireless charging highway: Electric vehicles may never run out of charge in the future

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• April 22, 2022

Insight summary

Imagine a world where electric vehicles (EVs) charge as they drive on specially designed highways, a concept that's transforming the way we think about transportation. This shift towards wireless charging highways could lead to increased public confidence in EVs, reduced manufacturing costs, and the creation of new business models, such as toll highways that charge for both road usage and vehicle charging. Alongside these promising developments, the integration of this technology also presents challenges in planning, safety regulations, and ensuring equitable access.

Wireless charging highway context

The transportation industry has constantly evolved since the invention of the first automobile. As EVs become increasingly popular with consumers, several solutions have been proposed and plans implemented to make battery charging technology and infrastructure widely available. Creating a wireless charging highway is one way that EVs can be charged as they drive, which could lead to significant changes within the automobile industry if this technology is adopted widely. This concept of charging on the go may not only enhance convenience for EV owners but also help in reducing the range anxiety that often comes with electric vehicle ownership.

The world could be moving closer to building roads capable of continuously charging EVs and hybrid cars. In recent years, particularly in the latter half of the 2010s, the demand for EVs has grown significantly in both the personal and commercial markets. As more EVs are driven on the world’s roads, the need for reliable and convenient charging infrastructure continues to grow. Companies capable of creating new solutions in this area may also gain a significant commercial advantage over their rivals, fostering healthy competition and potentially driving down costs for consumers.

The development of wireless charging highways presents an exciting opportunity, but it also comes with challenges that need to be addressed. The integration of this technology into existing infrastructure requires careful planning, collaboration between governments and private companies, and significant investment. Safety standards and regulations may need to be established to ensure that the technology is both effective and secure. Despite these hurdles, the potential benefits of a more flexible and user-friendly charging system for EVs are clear, and the pursuit of this technology could play a vital role in shaping the future of transportation.

Disruptive impact

As part of an initiative to provide EVs with continuous charging infrastructure in the United States, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), in partnership with Purdue University and a German startup, Magment GmbH, announced in mid-2021 plans to build wireless charging highways. The highways would use innovative magnetizable concrete to charge electric vehicles wirelessly. 

INDOT plans to execute the project in three phases. In the first and second phases, the project will aim to test, analyze, and optimize the specialized paving that is critical in the highway being able to charge vehicles driving over it. Purdue’s Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP) will host these first two phases at its West Lafayette campus. The third phase will feature the construction of a quarter-mile-long testbed that has a charging capacity of 200 kilowatts and higher to support the operation of electric heavy trucks.

The magnetizable concrete will be produced by combining recycled magnetic particles and cement. Based on Magment’s estimations, the wireless transmission efficiency of magnetizable concrete is approximately 95 percent, while the installation costs for building these specialized roads are similar to traditional road construction. In addition to supporting the growth of the EV industry, more EVs being purchased by former drivers of internal combustion vehicles could lead to carbon emissions being reduced in urban areas. 

Other forms of wireless charging highways are being tested worldwide. In 2018, Sweden developed an electric rail that could transfer power through a moveable arm to vehicles in motion. ElectReon, an Israeli wireless electricity company, developed an inductive charging system that has been used to charge an electric truck successfully. These technologies may play an essential role in spurring auto manufacturers to more rapidly embrace electric vehicles, with travel distance and battery longevity representing the most pressing technology challenges facing the industry. For example, among the largest auto manufacturers in Germany, Volkswagen leads a consortium to integrate ElectReon’s charging technology into newly designed electric vehicles. 

Implications of wireless charging highways

Wider implications of wirelessly charging highways may include:

• Increased general public’s confidence in adopting EVs as they can develop greater trust in their EVs to transport them over long distances, leading to a more widespread acceptance and utilization of electric vehicles in daily life.
• Reduced EV manufacturing costs as automakers can produce vehicles with smaller batteries since drivers will have their vehicles continuously charged during their commutes, making electric vehicles more affordable and accessible to a broader range of consumers.
• Improved supply chains as cargo trucks and various other commercial vehicles will gain the ability to travel longer without the need to stop for refueling or recharging, leading to more efficient logistics and potentially lower costs for goods transportation.
• Infrastructure corporations purchasing new or existing road toll highways to convert them into high-tech charging routes that will charge drivers both for using a given highway and for charging their EVs while driving through, creating new business models and revenue streams.
• Gas or charging stations being replaced entirely, in some regions, by the road toll charging highways noted in the previous point, leading to a transformation in how fueling infrastructure is designed and utilized.
• Governments investing in the development and maintenance of wireless charging highways, leading to potential changes in transportation policies, regulations, and public funding priorities.
• A shift in labor market demands as the need for traditional gas station attendants and related roles may decrease, while new opportunities in technology, construction, and maintenance of wireless charging infrastructure may emerge.
• Changes in urban planning and development as cities may need to adapt to the new infrastructure, leading to potential alterations in traffic patterns, land use, and community design.
• Possible challenges in ensuring equitable access to the new charging technology, leading to discussions and policies around affordability, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Questions to consider

• Do you think wireless charging roads can eliminate the need for EV charging stations?
• What could be the negative impacts of introducing magnetic materials in highways, particularly when non-vehicle-related metals are near the highway?