While lawmakers consider a network of electric car charging stations as part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, researchers in Indiana are experimenting with ways to charge vehicles while they’re on the road.
Using magnetizable concrete, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University have teamed up to develop “the world’s first contactless wireless-charging concrete pavement highway segment.”
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“We’re committed to fortifying our position as a transportation leader by innovating to support the emerging vehicle technology,” said Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. “This partnership to develop wireless charging technology for highways sends a strong signal that Indiana is on the leading edge of delivering the infrastructure needed to support the adoption of electric vehicles.”
“Convenient charging infrastructure continues to grow, and the need to innovate is clear,” INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness said in a news release.
Civil engineers at Purdue University described this current era as transforming the automobile industry in a way that has not occurred since cars were first invented.
“Through this research, we envision opportunities to reduce emissions and near-road exposures to pollutants,” said professor Nadia Gkritza.
The National Science Foundation is funding the project and coordinating efforts between private businesses, government labs, and a network of university researchers.
The first two phases involve testing pavement options and extensive research. In the third phase, Indiana will construct a quarter-mile stretch of road to test the ability to charge large trucks operating at high power.
Once completed, Indiana’s Department of Transportation said it would “electrify” highways within the state.
“[This] will undoubtedly set the standard for affordable, sustainable and efficient transportation electrification,” said Mauricio Esguerra, CEO of Magment, the company that developed magnetizable concrete.
In the UK, researchers are spending more than $750 million to spur similar innovation. In Sweden, scientists are taking a note from subway cars' “third rails” to potentially embed charging into roads.
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