One of the ironies of electric vehicles (EVs) is that they are not as popular in the inner cities of the U.S. than in the rest of the country, while those are the locations with the worst air quality, and EVs would make the most difference. The two main reasons for this disconnect are the relatively low income of inner city residents (making EVs less affordable) and the scarcity of charging options (most of these residents don’t have a dedicated garage or other parking facility to install a personal charger). Regarding the former, EV prices are already subsidized and are falling rapidly, and are forecast to be on a par with gasoline vehicles within a few years. 

That leaves access to charging as the main barrier for city residents. Michigan has just announced completion of the first mile of public road that will have the capability of charging EVs wirelessly, while parked or even while they are driving.¹ This small road in Detroit is just a demonstration of the technology and will be used primarily to gather data and test the system’s capabilities, but should it prove feasible, has the potential to reverse the public perception of EV charging. 

Imagine sitting at a traffic signal and seeing the remaining range of your vehicle go up—or parking your car in front of your apartment with a nearly depleted battery and waking up to a fully charged battery with no effort on your part. Suddenly, the EV is even more convenient than a fossil-fueled car!  

The vision is compelling, but of course there are limitations. EVs will need to be configured with wireless receivers, which will add to cost, weight and complexity. The cost of installing and maintaining the system will require cooperation between private and public entities, especially road commissions and electric utilities. Vehicle owners will probably be required to pay a premium to use the charging service, either up-front or as an additional fee on the electricity. 

The electrified roadway also has implications for other vehicle technology, specifically self-driving vehicles, vehicle connectivity and ride sharing. Less charging time will mean higher duty cycles (thus increased revenue) for ride sharing vehicles and would also benefit electrified busses and delivery trucks. The charging infrastructure could provide additional data for self-driving cars regarding position and the presence and motion of other vehicles. 

Of course, electrified roadways are not the complete solution to fossil-fuel free transportation. Lightly traveled rural roads probably would not be able to sell enough electricity to justify the cost. The stress on the electrical grid will need to be managed, as peak traffic coincides with other peak demands, and the additional capacity should ideally come from carbon-free (or at least carbon-neutral) sources. This will most likely require regional cooperation, as inner cities generally lack the available real estate for large-scale green energy power plants.² 

Detroit is optimistic, however, that the technology will prove feasible and already has plans to electrify a stretch of a major downtown road (Michigan Avenue) by 2025. Will other major cities follow suit?

REFERENCES
1. Click here.
2. Click here. Ed Becker is a Fellow and Past President of STLE. He is currently president of Friction & Wear Solutions, LLC, in Brighton, Mich., and can be reached through his website at www.frictionandwearsolutions.com.