“Sweden’s Electrified Road for EVs on the E20 Highway”

The selected highway is the E20, which is located between the major Swedish cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, reports web EuroNews. It will be the first part of a larger plan, which envisages over 3,000 kilometers of Swedish roads getting charging technology while driving. However, it is not yet clear what exactly the technology will be.

Sweden is a pioneer in testing electrified roads and has already tried three solutions. In 2016, a two-kilometer stretch of road opened in Gävle, central Sweden, which used overhead power lines to allow trucks to recharge using pantographs – similar to an electric train or tram.

Later, a 1.6 kilometer stretch of road in Gotland was electrified using charging coils placed under the asphalt. In 2018, Trafikverket introduced the world’s first charging rail on a two-kilometer stretch, which allowed electric trucks to launch a moving arm that picked up energy.

While the use of overhead power lines is exclusively for trucks, the under-the-road induction system can also be used by passenger cars if automakers adopt this technology.

This technology works similar to Qi wireless charging in mobile phones. A pad or plate is embedded under the road and electric vehicles, which are equipped with a receiving coil, are recharged as they pass. Such prototypes were also tested in Germany and the US Michigan.

The technology would not only extend range, but could also lead to cheaper electric cars thanks to smaller batteries.

According to the researchers, only 25 percent of Sweden’s road network would need to be electrified to represent the most efficient option. Euro News reports that Sweden has partnered with Germany and France to share experience and research findings, while the UK, US and India are also redoubling their efforts to build electrified roads.