- In Germany, a public highway will be equipped with magnetic coils for inductive charging of electric cars
- The test track in northern Bavaria is to be opened to normal traffic in 2025 and will help to bring the technology to series production
In Germany, a motorway is being equipped with magnetic coils that can inductively charge electric cars while driving. The public test track is intended to test roadway integration and help with the further development of the technology.
Erlangen, Nuremberg (Germany). In Germany , the range, which drops sharply in winter , the long charging times and the lack of charging stations are hampering the sale of electric cars . The “eCharge” project at the Technical University of Braunschweig showed as early as 2021 that inductive charging while driving could significantly increase the range of electric cars. So far, this technology , in which magnetic coils in the road surface generate a high-frequency magnetic field that is converted into electricity in the vehicle, has not yet been tested on public roads .
The Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen (FAU) and the Israeli company Electreon have now announced that the first public test track with an inductive charging system is being built in Northern Bavaria. The project partners are equipping one kilometer of public highway with charging coils. According to Alexander Kühl, this primarily serves the purpose of investigating roadway integration.
“The construction of a test track enables us to test the processes for automated production and roadway integration and to demonstrate their functionality.”
Series-ready charging technology for roads
The aim of the E|MPOWER project is to bring inductive charging technology to series production and to develop a standard for series production of coils and for integration in roads. As Jörg Franke explains, the project aims to establish Germany as a pioneer in this area.
“The E|MPOWER project is the next important step in bringing inductive charging technology for electric vehicles closer to the general public and positioning Germany as a pioneer in the field of production technology.”
The test track on the German autobahn is scheduled to open to normal traffic in 2025.
Electric Road System (ERS) from Israel
The Electreon company from Israel supplies the charging coils for the so-called Electric Road System (ERS). Test routes already exist there, which, among other things, charge city buses in Tel Aviv during operation.
The flat charging coils are lined up in an endless belt and are installed with special laying vehicles. These can be processed about a kilometer of road in just one night. A layer of asphalt is removed, then the coils are laid and a new layer of asphalt is applied. According to the developer of the system, the service life of the track coils is between ten and 20 years, depending on the load.
No magnetic field in the normal state
In the normal state, the coils are passive and do not produce a magnetic field. If a suitable electric car with a receiver coil is located above the charging coils, they become active and the charging process begins. According to Electreon, the charging capacity should also be sufficient for trucks.
