Michigan’s Department of Transportation has selected Electreon, the Israeli provider of wireless charging for electric vehicles on the go, to build a wireless in-road charging pilot in Detroit. The mile long test section will be the first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in the US.
Announcing the project Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “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.”
Electreon will lead the design, evaluation, iteration, testing, and implementation of the pilot program, which aims to be operational next year 2023. Project partners include NextEnergy and Jacobs Engineering Group.
The project will allow electric vehicles to charge both while in motion or stationary, potentially extending vehicle range, meaning future EV’s with inductive charging capabilities could function with smaller, lighter and less costly batteries.
Michigan will provide $1.9 million in funding with Electreon contributing the remainder.
The project will be hosted by and located within Michigan Central, a “mobility innovation district” supported by partners including Ford, Google, DTE Energy, and the City of Detroit.
Stefan Tongur, vice president of Electreon said, “We’re excited to be transferring our success in wireless charging for a variety of electric fleets – from cars to buses and heavy-duty trucks – to this innovative project. There’s important work ahead with our partners in Detroit to develop scalable, ‘plug-free’ charging that will future-proof the city’s EV infrastructure.”
Carolina Pluszczynski, Michigan Central development director added, “The electrified future is one of the focus areas for Michigan Central, and we are creating the platform and convening the partners to help scale EVs and discover new technologies and business models.
“Implementing a public wireless EV charging road system in the district area will help not only serve as an asset for innovation for many partners, now and in the future, but also as a tool for education on the value electrification can create, including for everyday needs. This collaboration symbolises the open platform Michigan Central is creating for partners of all kinds to come together and test and deploy innovations in a real-world environment.”
