How electric roads could power urban transport

The transition from horse to horsepower ushered in an infrastructural revolution that rippled through every part of society and made the modern world possible. A century later, we may be on the cusp of another massive transformation, this time with electric roads.

Such roads, relying on a network of copper coils and cloud management, would allow wireless charging of electric vehicles as they were being driven, allowing smaller, more eco-friendly batteries to be deployed in the cars, helping bring down EVs’ cost and thus making them accessible to more consumers.

But while the road-charging tech looks promising, challenges remain. For example, there is no recognised standard of wireless-charging tech, a situation that limits scaling the technology via the wider market.

To address this, local and international policymakers, electric-grid companies as well as global consumers would all need to work together and their awareness raised as to the promise of the new technology.

Nevertheless, trials of the the electric road tech look promising, and if the innovation can ride out the necessary time needed for market readiness, as well as able to secure continued rounds of funding, the day may not be far off when electric vehicles can be powered while being driven, without being obliged to make pitstops at physical charging points.

View the original video here.

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