DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit took a step into the future Wednesday as officials unveiled the country’s first stretch of wireless-charging public roadway.
Located near Michigan Central Station — which will soon be an electric vehicle innovation hub for Ford — in Corktown, the one-block stretch along 14th Street will allow EV drivers to charge their car simply by driving over the roadway.
Using technology from Electreon, 14th Street now has inductive-charging coils between Marantette and Dalzelle Streets that will charge EVs equipped with Electreon receivers.
As the new EV road stretches just a block, MDOT officials say it “will be used to test and perfect this wireless-charging technology in a real-world environment and perfect it ahead of making it available to the public in the next few years, helping to further establish Michigan and Detroit as leaders in innovation and technology.”
"It may seem small now, but it's a huge step in 'how do we bring this to scale?'" said Michigan Central CEO Joshua Sirefman.
Sirefman says they'll be looking at how different types of EVs and fleets charge while driving on 14th Street and use that information moving forward as the EV revolution continues.
Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison says the unveiling of the road shows the Motor City is still on the cutting edge of the auto industry.
“We’re in competition across the world to be able to create spaces for evolution, innovation in the world of electrification. So I just want everybody to take time and really savor this moment,” Bettison said at Wednesday’s unveiling.
Electron VP of Business Development Dr. Stefan Tongur said the new technology will “demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs.”
“This project paves the way for a zero-emission mobility future, where EVs are the norm, not the exception,” he said.
Electreon's wireless charging technology is based on inductive coupling between copper coils installed below the road surface and receivers installed on electric vehicles. When a vehicle with a receiver nears the in-road charging segments, the road transfers electricity wirelessly through a magnetic field. This electricity is then transferred as energy to the vehicle's battery. These charging segments can transfer wireless electricity to the receiver either when the vehicle is parked (static charging) or is driving (dynamic charging).
“The electric road is safe for drivers, pedestrians and wildlife. Each coil in the road is activated only when a vehicle with an approved receiver passes over the coil. This ensures that energy transfer is controlled and provided only to vehicles that require it,” MDOT said in a press release.