The Edge
The Edge

This road in Sweden charges electric vehicles as they drive on it

This road charges electric vehicles as they drive
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This road charges electric vehicles as they drive

As a part of Sweden's plan to have a fossil fuel-free transportation system by 2030, the government just completed part of a road near Stockholm that charges electric vehicles as they drive on it.

The project — called eRoadArlanda — uses technology similar to overhead cables that charge electric buses and trolleys, but instead is built into the road. When a retrofitted vehicle senses it's on the electric road, an arm lowers onto the track that charges the car's battery. eRoadArlanda says the track works in rain or snow. The system is designed to feed heavy truck loads, but will be capable of charging cars and buses as well.

The road will be paid for by billing the driver for the amount of electricity used.

eRoadArlanda has completed 1.25 miles of the electrified road on a public highway as a part of a test, with plans to expand to other parts of the country.