How Sweden's electrified road will charge EVs on the go
What's the story
As part of an initiative to improve infrastructure for electric mobility, Sweden has started working on the world's first permanent electrified motorway.
It will be opened to the public in 2025, and electric vehicles will be able to recharge while driving on it.
If the project is successful, the Scandinavian nation will electrify an additional 3,000km of highways by 2035.
Details
Brief info about electrified highway
For the electrification project, Sweden has chosen the European route 20 (E20).
It runs through three major Swedish cities, Stockholm, Malmo, and Gothenburg, and connects logistic hubs between Orebro and Hallsberg.
The electrified motorway project is now at a "procurement stage" and is expected to be completed by 2025. There are multiple charging methods, but authorities have not yet decided which one to choose.
Process
What are different types of charging methods?
Available charging methods are conductive (ground-based), catenary, and inductive.
Conductive charging allows vehicles such as cars and trucks to be charged via a conduction system such as a rail. The vehicles get energy from a conductor stick that touches the rail.
In the catenary system, overhead wires are used to provide electricity to specially-modified buses and trams. This process is suitable for heavy-duty vehicles.
Information
How does inductive charging work?
Finally, the inductive charging system uses a pad/plate placed under the road to transfer electricity to coils present in EVs when they pass over. The coils use that electricity to charge batteries. Sweden is expected to use this method for the upcoming e-motorway.
Projects
Sweden is no stranger to road electrification
In 2016, a two-kilometer road with overhead electric lines was introduced in Sweden, where vehicles could be recharged using pantographs.
Two years later, the world's first charging rail for EVs was launched on another stretch between Stockholm and Rosersberg. E-trucks drew power via a moving arm that touched the rail embedded into the asphalt.
In 2020, a wireless electric road was built in Visby.
Claim
'Electrification necessary to decarbonize transportation'
Describing the need for building electrified motorways, Jan Pettersson, the director of strategic development at Trafikverket (Swedish transport department), said, "We think the electrification solution is the way forward for decarbonizing the transport sector, and we are working with a number of solutions."
Sweden has set a target of electrifying 3,000km of roads by 2035 and partnered with France and Germany for research collaboration.