Energy harvesting roads turn weird science into commercial applications
Roads are the latest electric vehicle charging infrastructure
ElectReon (Israel)
ElectReonis an Israeli firm developing an in-road inductive charging system.
How it works:
In December, the company launched an E-bus shuttle, charged by Germany’s first wireless electric road system, which powers a bus line between a training center in Karlsruhe and the local public transport system.
The wireless charging lessens the electrical grid connections needed at bus facilities. It also reducesvehicle batteryreliance, size, and weight. Not to mention that charging while on the go brings down fleet vehicle downtime and enables extended operational hours.
Elonroad (Sweden)
Elonroadcreates charging infrastructure for all-electric vehicles. It’s both an electric road solution forchargingwhile driving and an automatic park charger without cables. It works in cities, highways, parking spaces, andtaxilines.
The company mounts conductive power strips on top of roads. A conductive pick-up under the vehicle connects to the electric rail, creating bus stop charging and in-motion charging for vehicles with access permission through a wireless system.
Then, the road connects to a server that identifies each vehicle. The energy delivered from each segment is measured, and the energy provider bills the right amount to each customer.
Underground Power (Italy)
Underground Poweris an Italian company that creates smart speed bumps. Tire-like rubber paving converts the kinetic energy produced by moving vehicles into electric energy.
This helps cars respect the speed limits and retrieves the kinetic energy wasted during the deceleration.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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