Tel Aviv is on its way to becoming home to the first electric road in the world that would enable electric vehicles to charge while on the go.
The initiative is the result of a partnership between the municipality of Tel Aviv and a company called ElectReon, which has launched a pilot project to install wireless electric roads for charging public transportation in the city. The aim is to install an underground electric system that can charge electric vehicles while they are moving.
As part of the pilot, ElectReon installed a set of copper coils underneath the road, while outfitting the vehicles with receivers that connect them to energy flowing beneath the road. “Energy is transferred from the electricity grid to the road infrastructure and manages communication with the approaching vehicles,” the company explains on its website.
The first-of-its-kind pilot will be carried out on roads that span from Tel Aviv University Railway station to Klatzkin Terminal in Ramat Aviv, a route of about 1.2 miles, including the electric road itself that’s little less than half a mile.
According to the city’s mayor Ron Huldai, if the pilot is successful, the city will consider expanding and using the electric roads to more sections in the city. “Our strategic action plan to prepare for climate change has placed the fight against pollution at the top of the municipality’s environmental agenda.”
The technology’s testing and integration are expected to take about two months, after which an electric bus will commence regular journeys on the route, serving passengers traveling to and from Tel Aviv University.
