Researchers Are Testing Out A Highway To Charge Your EV While You Drive

One significant disadvantage for owners of electric vehicles (EVs) is the inconvenience of frequently stopping to recharge. However, an innovative project led by Indiana University researchers seeks to change this aspect of EV ownership.  

But what’s the idea?  

The Indiana Department of Transportation, in collaboration with withering students from Purdue University, has filed plans to build a stretch of highway where electric vehicles, including electric semi trucks, may be wirelessly charged while reaching speeds of 65 mph. The creative project aims to install transmitter coils beneath the pavement on a quarter-mile test section of US Route 231/Route 52 in West Lafayette, Indiana. 

The concept uses transmitter coils under the highway to provide electricity to receiver coils placed on the undersides of EVs through a magnetic field. For wireless charging to work, cars need to have receiver coils installed; thus, manufacturers will need to integrate this technology, or EV owners will need to modify their automobiles. 

Purdue’s project is unique as it deals with semi trucks, which had not happened before with other electrified highways. This EV battery charging design stands out as it is specially designed for electric semi-trucks. 

Testing will begin in May 2025, after the project’s completion, as part of a pilot program. The tests will examine several concerns, including how inclement weather affects charging, investigate potential issues with pavement fractures, and the circumstances where cars don’t travel over the coils directly. 

The team hopes to electrify more interstates in Indiana over the next four to five years and emphasizes that the initiative has the potential to completely change the transportation sector.