Ford Motor Co. is working with Israeli startup Electreon to construct a mile-long road near Detroit’s Michigan Central Terminal that will charge electric vehicles as they travel on it.
The pilot program will deploy an inductive in-road charging system in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
“As we aim to lead the future of mobility and electrification by boosting electric vehicle production and lowering consumer costs, a wireless in-road charging system is the next piece to the puzzle for sustainability,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.
Also supporting the project, which is expected to be operational in 2023, are Next Energy and the Jacobs Engineering Group. Ford purchased the long-abandoned train station and is converting it to be the hub of what it calls its “mobility innovation district,” where software developers and others will focus on making electrified and autonomous transportation more practical.
“We are proud and thankful to be selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation to lead and implement the first wireless electric road system in the United States,” said Stefan Tongur, vice president of Electreon.
Electreon’s technology can wirelessly charge EVs whether they are moving or stationary. This project will be one of the first to be installed on public roads in the United States.
The company currently has pilot projects in Germany, Sweden and Italy. Recently it signed an agreement to develop a plug-free charging network for 200 transit buses in Tel Aviv.
Inductive charging has the potential to ease range anxiety for EVs owners and reduce their cost of charging at home or at public charging stations.
“It is a privilege to be working with the State of Michigan to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in the Motor City,” said Electreon CEO Oren Ezer. “This is a monumental step towards expanding our U.S. presence and team.”
