Posted by: 07/15/2023 – 15:26

3 minutes

This charging is done through two technologies that allow vehicles to run longer using smaller batteries and thus use less trace metals.

Just as mobile phones are charged wirelessly with the same technology, magnetic rollers under the asphalt recharge vehicle batteries by magnetic induction. In the case of cars, they are mounted on the bottom of their bodies, close to the asphalt, with a steel plate that allows them to be lifted off the road.

These “electric road” systems will revolutionize the automotive industry, allowing electric vehicles to run for long periods of time without stopping to recharge their batteries, eliminating the need for very heavy batteries that consume large amounts of scarce materials.

Trials are being conducted on French motorways to test the performance of this technology when cars are traveling at high speeds. “This test will contribute to solving the last remaining problems before this technology is used on a large scale over hundreds or thousands of kilometres,” explains Louis de Basquier, project manager at French concession and construction company Vinci.

The first tests will take place in September 2023 in Rouen, western France, in the closed loop of the state system “Serima”, which is overseen by the Ministry of Environmental Change. These freight systems are located four kilometers from the A10 highway near Paris. The charging system only works when compatible vehicles equipped with catch plates are passing.

Also, on the Mont Blanc highway in central France, a technology developed by the railway company “Alstom” mainly for tramways will be tested, according to which the vehicles receive electricity from a feeder line on the upper layer of the road.

According to reports submitted to the French Ministry of Transport in the summer of 2021, electric road technology will accelerate the transition to an electric option for heavy trucks, most of which still use diesel.

Environmental sustainability

France has been pursuing a strategy for many years to promote the use of electric cars to achieve environmental sustainability, technological innovation in the transport sector and economic growth. As one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, France’s switch to electric cars contributes to meeting its environmental protection goals and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

To further encourage citizens, the French government has offered financial incentives and tax incentives to encourage the purchase of electric cars, which are more attractive than traditional cars. The government is also investing in expanding the electric vehicle charging network and developing related technology.