A pilot project is starting on the A6 motorway near Amberg, Germany, which could revolutionize driving. It has to do with charging electric cars, which will be able to charge in real-world conditions while driving, from a network of copper coils that will be located under the asphalt.

The copper coils will be installed about 12 centimeters below the road surface and will generate up to 25 kilowatts of power. In order for a car to get the energy it will need to have a special receiver, which is currently not yet available as standard equipment in electric cars. But it will soon be an additional accessory that will help sales.

Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen Nuremberg, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, is leading the pilot project, while the project is being implemented by Electreon Germany, the company specialising in inductive charging that developed the system. To test it in real-life conditions, authorised vehicles equipped with the necessary inductive charging infrastructure are driving the one-kilometer section of the route to see the actual operating conditions.

Should the trials be successful, the technology could be extended to other sections of motorway giving electric car owners the incentive to fit the appropriate receiver. The advantages for electric cars are obvious, as they will charge on the move, so drivers will need fewer stops, but more importantly, smaller electric cars with smaller batteries and less weight will be able to drive on these sections of motorways.

A similar project has been implemented in recent months by the French, where a team of scientists with the help of the state, but also other private entities, have already developed a nearly two-kilometer stretch of the A10 motorway where charging is done wirelessly, with inductive coils.

Also the Swedes, a short time ago, have also implemented an inductive charging program, while we should not forget the similar effort that both the Norwegians and the Americans have done.

The method, is very reminiscent of the technology that the iPhone uses to charge wirelessly. What is certain is that this technology can provide a solution to the problem of charging and autonomy of electric vehicles. As long as manufacturers put the necessary equipment in the standard equipment of their cars, but also if there is the will of the state in question to develop sections on the highways that offer electricity.

Of course the big problem is that automotorways that wirelessly charge electric cars will expend large energy reserves, at a time when they themselves are not energy self-sufficient. If this problem is solved (e.g. solar panels in parking lots) then surely a big step will have been taken towards the implementation of this program by many countries worldwide.