It sounds futuristic, but highways that charge electric cars wirelessly as they drive are already a thing, sort of. Several research projects have been developed in various parts of the world. Now, France has opened up the first public segment with heavy traffic. It’s just a 1.5-kilometer (almost one-mile) stretch of the A10 motorway, some 40 km away from Paris, but it’s a powerful proof of concept.
The pilot project, dubbed “Charge as you drive,” is now testing its ability to send electric power directly into vehicles (from heavy-duty trucks to passenger cars) as they move at high speeds.
Already Promising
The project has only been launched, but the early results are in, and they are stunning.
Independent analysis by Gustave Eiffel University, which is monitoring the live installation, confirms the system is delivering peak power levels above 300 kilowatts (kW) and sustained average power above 200 kW. To put that in perspective, that is four to six times more powerful than a typical Tesla Supercharger you see in a car park. It’s enough energy to power a 40-tonne electric truck and charge its battery simultaneously, all while it hurtles down the highway.
This technology is promising for all sorts of cars, but France is particularly looking at the truck cargo industry.
Transport is a massive source of greenhouse gases, and in France, the freight and logistics sector alone accounts for over 16% of the country’s total emissions. Electrifying the millions of heavy-duty trucks that form the backbone of our economy is non-negotiable for hitting climate goals.
But you can’t just put a normal car battery in a semi-truck.
To give a long-haul truck a practical range (several hundred miles), you’d have to give it a huge battery pack, weighing multiple tonnes. This creates a vicious cycle. The massive battery is expensive, consuming vast amounts of precious raw materials like lithium and cobalt. Its immense weight is basically dead weight that reduces the amount of cargo the truck can legally carry, destroying the business case for logistics companies.
And then there’s the charging. To “fill up” a battery that enormous in a reasonable time (like a driver’s mandatory 45-minute break), you would need ultra-powerful “megawatt-chargers,” a technology that is itself just emerging and requires a massive upgrade to the electrical grid. The idea is to move from an “empty-to-full” refueling model (like a gas station) to an “energy sipping” model. If a truck can “sip” electricity continuously while it drives, it could operate with a battery 50% to 80% smaller.
We have the technological solutions for your electric car, but trucks are a whole different beast. If France could offer a practical solution for this multi-billion-dollar industry, it would truly be revolutionary.
How This Technology Works
The technology at play is called dynamic wireless induction. If you’ve ever used a wireless charging pad for your smartphone, it’s the same physical principle.
Engineers embed segments of copper coils just beneath the surface of the motorway’s asphalt. These coils are connected to power-management units hidden on the roadside. When an authorized vehicle approaches, the system detects it and energizes the coils in the segment directly beneath it. These coils generate a precise magnetic field.
Then, the automobiles themselves play a role. The cars and trucks have to be equipped with one or more receiver pads, or coils, on their undercarriage. As the vehicle drives over the energized road, the magnetic field from the road induces an electric current in the vehicle’s receiver. This power is then fed directly to the electric motor or used to top up the battery.
The system is smart. It only activates when a vehicle with a valid receiver passes over, making it safe for other traffic and wildlife. It’s also modular, meaning it can be installed in segments, perhaps just on inclines where trucks need the most power, or in dedicated charging lanes.
“This is a pivotal moment in the global development of electric roads.” Said Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon, the company working on the project. “Electreon’s technology meets, and even exceeds, all the requirements set by the French government. I believe these results pave the way for the deployment of thousands of kilometers of wireless road using our technology in France, and later across Europe.”
Built To Last
There’s no reason why this road should last less than regular ones. For two years, French engineers tested and validated the materials before cutting into the motorway.
France isn’t the only one working on a project like this. Germany is preparing to build a one-kilometer inductive charging segment on its A6 motorway near Bavaria, also using Electreon’s technology. Construction is slated for 2025. Italy is also testing a similar system, also focusing on trucks. The United States has multiple, smaller-scale pilots, including one in Detroit. China, South Korea, and Israel are all running their own trials.
Charging roads seem poised to become a reality, but they have hurdles as well. First, of course, there’s the cost. It’s unclear how much a long stretch would cost to build, and it’s even less clear who would pay for this. How do you bill a driver for electricity they “sip” over 20 kilometers? Such a system will need sophisticated metering.
Then, building this system at large scales will also require massive investments in infrastructure, especially high-voltage lines that can support the electricity transfer. But the prospects are clear.
This is why the A10 trial is so critical. It will provide the first real-world data not just on performance, but on reliability, maintenance needs, and lifecycle costs. If it works well, it could be a watershed moment for charging motorways.
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