Electromobility: Coils in the Autobahn Charge Vehicles on the Go
In France, a section of autobahn has been equipped with an inductive charging system. In a field test, e-cars are being charged while driving there.
E-truck on autobahn with inductive charging system
(Image: VINCI Autoroutes photo library – Caroline Gasch)
Charging while driving: What is difficult to achieve with combustion engine cars – filling the tank while driving – is possible with electric cars. This is currently being tested on a stretch of autobahn about 40 kilometers southwest of Paris: a section of the autobahn has been equipped with an inductive charging system.
As part of the Charge As You Drive project, a consortium has equipped 1.5 kilometers of the A10 with coils. For vehicles to charge wirelessly there, they must also be equipped with coils. After completion, the practical test is now beginning. A heavy-duty truck, a commercial vehicle, a car, and a bus will be used as test vehicles.
First Test in Traffic
It is the first test of such a system on a public autobahn in regular traffic, announced the Israeli company Electreon, which developed the inductive charging technology called Electric Road System (ERS). The project also involves Gustave Eiffel University, the French construction group VINCI Construction, and the French plastics manufacturer Hutchinson.
In tests conducted on-site by scientists from Gustave Eiffel University, the ERS delivers a peak power of over 300 kilowatts and an average power of over 200 kilowatts, albeit under optimal conditions, meaning when a vehicle is not moving.
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Target Group: Heavy Goods Traffic
The idea of ERS is to charge vehicles while driving. The system is primarily intended for heavy goods traffic. To achieve sufficient range, vehicles require large batteries. These contribute to the vehicle's weight, which comes at the expense of payload. By enabling charging while driving, heavy-duty vehicles can be equipped with batteries with less capacity. The competing concept of e-highways involved equipping autobahns with overhead lines, to charge trucks while driving.
"The deployment of this technology on France's main roads, along with charging stations, will further accelerate the electrification of heavy-duty vehicle fleets and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the freight and logistics sector," said Nicolas Notebaert, head of VINCI's Concessions business unit. This sector accounts for over 16 percent of emissions in France.
(wpl)
