Inductive Charging in Pavement: Meeting Needs of EVs

As more electric vehicles are used by the general public and truck-based transportation companies, conversations about the infrastructure to provide convenient, accessible charging stations become more critical. An alternative to constructing dedicated charging stations for EVs is to turn the pavement into one long, seamless charging “station” that enables a driver to recharge while on the road.

Eliminating the need to stop and plug in throughout the day increases the feasibility of EVs for commercial applications such as logistics, transit, and transportation. Inductive charging in the pavement also addresses the challenge of providing charging areas at multi-family sites such as apartment or condo buildings and office or retail spaces.

Embedding the charging coils in the concrete pavement also works with parking lots and on-street parking, says Tim Sylvester, founder and CEO of Integrated Roadways. When the concrete pavement charges the vehicle, there’s no need to plan dedicated spaces for EVs.

“An application that is flexible and works as a dynamic as well as a static charger, future-proofs the pavement,” Sylvester explains.

Precast concrete panels with technology built into each panel, or Smart Pavement, enable wireless charging along with other functions.

“In most in-motion applications, only one in five to one in eight Smart Pavement slabs needs to have charging coils inside to keep your vehicle charging,” says Sylvester.

His company’s product also embeds other digital technology and fiber optic connectivity for traffic data collection through in-road sensors. The pavement is modular and designed to be easily upgradeable. It enables Wi-Fi access, 5G, wireless EV charging, edge data and cloud services and more through a connected network of systems, sensors and antennas.

Adding the technology in the factory results in faster construction of the pavement and greater quality. The contractor sets up the base and subgrade of the road as it has always been done, then lifts the panels into place.

“We took pains to make the construction process simple,” Sylvester says. “After placing and leveling the panel, dowels are extended into the adjacent pavement.”

Other benefits include the need for smaller crews to construct the roadway and a simpler repair if a panel needs to be replaced – just remove one panel and replace it with another, he adds.

Demonstration projects in Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri have proven the construction and technology work, said Sylvester. “We are moving toward the next step of a larger installation that can showcase all of the benefits.”