EEVblog 1584 - Wireless Freakin' EV Charging Roads! A $250M Boondoggle - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 03, 2023, 09:26:57 pm
content: The US Department of Transport have authorised a $250M grant program to fund Wireless EV charging roads. A look at the pilot program in Detroit Michigan with the startup company Electreon:https://electreon.com/00:00 - Wireless EV road charging in Detroit01:15 - $250M funding from the US Department of Transport!03:18 - The inductive road coil05:29 - This project is a half arsed approach to EV costs.06:50 - Petrol/Gas vs Electric EV charging, still no contest.07:14 - Reminds me of Adam Something and his take on Electric Busses08:21 - Electreon gets UN Approval!09:02 - Private company tech in roads?09:41 - The location in Detroit10:53 - The Chicken & Egg problem13:52 - The problems are many16:57 - Let's watch the Electreon marketing video18:16 - The EV retrofit is EASY!20:25 - The motherload of wireless charging failure analysis document from DOT!26:41 - They make it sound so easy!27:56 - They want these on consumer EV's, LOL!Reference Links:DOT failure analysis report:https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57152https://www.forbes.com/sites/billkoenig/2023/12/01/wireless-charging-for-electric-vehicles-may-be-advancing/?sh=5aa369e81d5fhttps://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/technology-europe-middle-east-business-israel-1894c77ba274467a8fd29373a1da4a0chttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/redefining-green-transportation-new-federal-bill-boosts-wireless-ev-charging-program-301894508.htmlhttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2023/11/29/detroit-road-electreon-charge-ev-14th-street/71728909007/https://apnews.com/article/wireless-roadway-electric-vehicle-charging-detroit-22fcdeabd026d81712a0c1a12b190d9ahttps://stevens.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-stevens-introduces-bill-expand-wireless-ev-charging-programs-federal-levelhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.926270/fullhttps://www.designboom.com/technology/ev-charging-highways-electreon-wireless-electric-vehicles-sweden-italy-05-24-2021/https://www.theautopian.com/toyota-electreon-roads/https://meticulousblog.org/top-10-companies-in-wireless-electric-vehicle-ev-charging-systems-market/https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/wireless-electric-vehicle-charging-systems-market-5178https://australasiantransportresearchforum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ATRF2022_Resubmission_32.pdfhttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-63101889https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1493137

author: .RC.
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2023, 11:36:12 am
content: I might have missed it, but another point is the availability of enough copper to build them in the first place.I wonder what the next crazy idea will be. Solar panels in pools. They refract the light leading to greater solar panel efficiency. Surely there is a few million in that idea.

author: golden_labels
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2023, 03:57:43 pm
content: Meanwhile in Warsaw the public transport already has a convenient and working charging solution:https://maps.app.goo.gl/cMnVDRnbbXwyGwsx7https://maps.app.goo.gl/qryqpWnnufmBhW3y8https://www.ztm.waw.pl/inwestycje/budowa-petli-przy-ulicy-j-ostroroga/But yeah… a simple 130 year old device does not sound modern enough!

author: user325153
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 04, 2023, 04:38:04 pm
content: Proposed solution with capacitive transfer every quarter mile

author: golden_labels
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2023, 04:44:00 am
content: The thing is that with vehicle fleets used to provide services you usually don’t have to charge them en route. In particular within cities. Their standard mode of operation includes inactivity periods. These are natural spots to do charging. Without employing complicated, proprietary, and expensive technology.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2023, 01:49:49 pm
content: Inductive it will probably be expensive, if it needs litz coils forget about it. Even if you could use some kind of roll to roll process it's going to require quite an intricate structure.Capacitive though could be done with very regular large structures. Roads are expensive, putting a roll of some shaped aluminium film beneath it isn't going to make it much more expensive. Safety might be an issue, since it will require a couple kV.The chicken and egg problem is solved if the same system is used for residential charging instead of charging poles.

author: golden_labels
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2023, 12:04:31 pm
content: Tom Scott just tested another option. While I’m not in favor of this specific implementation, the idea offers instant charging and seems to be actually working:

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2023, 10:04:41 pm
content: Quote from: golden_labels on December 12, 2023, 12:04:31 pmMight work well for buses or long haul trucks if they are in operation 24/7.I would not want that on a car though..

author: golden_labels
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2024, 01:44:17 pm
content: Ha, wireless freakin’ charging roads have an advantage over the pantograph solution! But only if the designers aren’t thinking well.The system I mentioned above, from Warsaw, failed this winter. Ice on top of the pick-up shoe prevented charging.The designers thought about winter conditions and added heating elements. But they are on the shoe itself and can only be turned on when charging is already in progres…

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2025, 01:12:28 pm
content: *Sigh* Germany (or to my defense as northern german, Bavaria) has fallen for this boondongle as well:https://www.heise.de/en/news/Bavaria-gets-highway-route-for-contactless-charging-of-moving-e-cars-10436466.htmlOne kilometer of Autobahn will be re-build with inductive charging coils. No information about the cost, but that can't be cheap.