Sweden to Install First Permanent EV Charging Road
Still in its beginning stages, the project is planned to be up and running by 2025.
Electric cars are becoming more popular. But long trips can still be problematic if there are no charging stations along the way. But soon, when you drive an electric car your battery will last as long as you need it to without stopping to charge. That’s because the roads you are driving on will charge your battery for you.
Sweden’s electric roads
Sweden’s decision to create a permanent electric road, according to Euronews, came in light of a newly passed EU law that mandates that in 2035, all new cars sold will have to emit zero CO2 emissions. This means a switch to electric vehicles and building the infrastructure they will need in order to maintain an emission-free transportation system.
According to Elektrek, Sweden is currently considering three options to create roads that could charge electric vehicles on the go. The first are to use overhead power lines. These operate much like the lines that power trams or street cars. The second are ground-level electric rails that would transmit electricity to conductive pick-ups beneath the car. The third option is to use inductive coils embedded in the roads that would transfer electricity to vehicles.
Not the first attempt
This is not the first time that Sweden has played around with the concept of electric roads. The country has already piloted four temporary electric roads. The new electrified road is being built by Swedish transport administration Trafikverket.
“We think the electrification solution is the way forward for decarbonising the transport sector and we are working with a number of solutions,” Jan Pettersson, director of strategic development at Trafikverket, told Euronews.
The E20, the highway chosen for electrification, runs through three of Sweden’s biggest cities, Stockholm, Malmo, and Gothenburg. This makes the route an important part of the whole country’s transportation system.
Though it is the first, the E20 will hopefully not be the last road in Sweden to be electrified. The Chalmers Institute of Technology in Sweden recently released a study indicating that electric roads on 25 percent of Sweden’s busiest roads, along with home charging systems, would be necessary for a smooth transition to EVs.
This means that though this is welcome news, there is still a lot of work to be done to meet the EU’s 2035 deadline, according to Euronews. As climate change worsens, Sweden's environmental efforts are to be commended. Hopefully more countries around the world will find creative ways to create a more sustainable future.
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