United Nations European Route E20 connects Hallsberg and Örebro in Sweden, as it runs west-east from Ireland to Russia. Two years ago, World Economic Forum announced that Sweden was building the worlds first electric highway on a stretch of that road. We catch up on progress, and discover that this dream is materializing.
Technology Behind the Worlds First Electric Highway
Sweden was debating the best way to charge electric vehicle batteries on the go, at the time of the announcement. Options on the table included overhead cables, ground-based rails, or wireless induction pads embedded in the asphalt. Decision criteria included efficiency, cost, and environmental impact.
However, the overall goal for the worlds first electric highway was clear. It would allow electric vehicles to charge their batteries as they drove along it, without requiring precise alignment. Charging stationery electric vehicles when parked is already a popular application.
Smart Road Gotland explains how the mobile wireless induction system comprises four key elements:
- Transmitters beneath the road surface in the center of the lane.
- Management units sending energy to these road transmitters.
- Proprietary receivers attached to the underside of vehicle chassis.
- Real-time communication with onboard individual vehicles.
First Section of Electric Highway Live in 2025
The Glass Almanac confirms that the first section of the electric highway, will be up and running some time during 2025. This innovation holds promise to eliminate the need to find stationary charging points while traveling. Instead, the participating drivers will have full batteries when they leave the electric road.
The ultimate goal of the worlds first electric highway in Sweden, is to extend the service along 1,800 miles of roadway. However, challenges lie ahead, as the rest of world watches and wonders could this ever really happen?
The biggest questions, of course, are who pays the capital cost, and is it sustainable. Will taxpayers foot the bill, or drivers via a higher road toll. This trial could become a cornerstone of zero-emission mobility running on batteries, if it proves practical at scale.
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Wireless Charging Becoming Truly Mobile
