An Israeli startup plans to build about a mile of sidewalk in Michigan that will charge wireless electric vehicles as drivers pass by, marking a first-of-its-kind infrastructure project in the United States.
Beit Yanai-based Electreon has won a contract with the state to build a road charging system near downtown Detroit, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Tuesday.
The Electreon uses special sidewalk coils that send magnetic frequencies to a charging cradle under a vehicle. Every time an electric car cruises along this sidewalk or stops on the road, the battery charges. The approach is similar to how wireless charging pads send juice to your mobile phone. The coils do not react or damage gas-powered vehicles, according to Electreon.
Electreon Road in 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. Government officials did not say how much the project would cost, but said the state’s transportation department would contribute $ 1.9 million and Electreon would take over the rest.
“Michigan is aggressively presenting various charging solutions and we must continue to stay ahead of the technology curve,” Transportation Director Paul Ajegba said in a statement Tuesday. “A wireless on-road charging system will be revolutionary for electric vehicles, possibly extending their charging without having to stop.”
Electreon has been testing its technology in Italy since December and has other tests in progress in Germany and Sweden. The company signed a $ 9.4 million deal in October to transfer its technology to electric buses in Tel Aviv.
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Electric vehicle drivers in the US usually charge for their rides by parking at a charging station or at home and connecting a cable. Electreon and other startups believe this method is ineffective and are creating new ways for drivers to charge without having to log in and wait.
Massachusetts startup Sparkcharge has developed a portable electric vehicle charger that fits in the trunk of a car and can fully charge. The company also offers another service where an employee will come to the driver’s seat of an electric vehicle and charge it.
US automakers are expected to sell 6.9 million electric vehicles by 2025, up from 1.4 million projected in 2020, according to S&P Global.
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