A world first: dynamic wireless charging on a motorway
Following successful tests in labs and on closed test tracks, the Charge as you Drive project – which VINCI Autoroutes is leading, in partnership with Electreon, Gustave Eiffel University and Hutchinson – has cleared a new milestone with the first real-world dynamic wireless charging trial, on a 1.5 km stretch of the A10 motorway near Paris.
Four prototype vehicles (a truck, van, car and bus) equipped with the necessary pickup coils are now driving in real-life traffic conditions on a pilot motorway section to assess the system's performance. And the initial results are very encouraging: the wireless technology can transfer more than 300 kW of instantaneous power and more than 200 kW of average power under optimal steady-state conditions.
Deployed on a large scale, charging-while-driving technology could considerably reduce the weight of batteries in electric vehicles – by several tonnes in the case of heavy electric vehicles – and as a result reduce their size, cost, carbon footprint and material footprint, while eliminating charging stops and range limitations.
As the transport sector accounts for one-third of France's greenhouse gas emissions and nine out of ten goods travel by road in the country, this breakthrough is a big leap forward for decarbonisation. These trials on open motorways – the first worldwide – are a significant step in this technology's development.
Read the article about Electric mobility hitting the road in the eMAG, VINCI's online media platform.
