In a world first, the United Kingdom is set to test under-road wireless charging for electric and hybrid vehicles.
The off-road trials of the new technology are set to take place in England later this year and will involve fitting cars with wireless technology and testing equipment installed underneath a test road to replicate real-world conditions.
The experiment is expected to last for about 18 months and could be followed by on-road trials. If the trials are a success, the wireless charging equipment could be installed in the country’s major highways and streets, creating a network of “electric highways” that would allow drivers of electric cars to travel long distances without needing to stop and charge the car’s battery.
The trials follow the completion of a feasibility study commissioned by Highways England into “dynamic wireless power transfer” technologies.
“The potential to recharge low-emission vehicles on the move offers exciting possibilities,” said U.K. Transport Minister Andrew Jones. The U.K. government has committed £500 million (more than $1 billion CDN) over the next five years to keep Britain at the forefront of this technology.
