Alternative Infrastructure: Electrified Roads

The concept is no different from trains travelling along a charged track. While any real-world implementation is a long way off, the TEV team is building a trial road for a lower estimated cost per mile than traditional highway.

1 minute read

March 21, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc

Dirima / Flickr

Headed by a father-daughter team from Scotland, the Tracked Electric Vehicle project envisions an electric future without charging stations. Anna Hirtenstein writes, "TEV Project highways would have an electrified metal strip embedded into the middle of the road which provides a constant source of power to the vehicle. Just like streetcars and subway trains do in today's cities, cars on a TEV highway could charge as they drive."

TEV is a nonprofit business that has drawn attention from major infrastructure companies. Its financial estimates are promising. "TEV Project plans to build its first trial road by next year at an estimated cost of $1.2 million to $1.8 million per mile, a price that is less than for a traditional highway."

Of course, EVs currently represent a minuscule portion of the world's automobile fleet. But the TEV project should also be of interest to those of us who imagine fleets of electric self-drivers ferrying people through the city.

FULL STORY: Here's One Answer to Electric Cars' Lack of Range: Electric Road

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Bloomberg Business

Energy Infrastructure Technology Transportation United Kingdom Electric Vehicles Electric Cars Charging Stations Electric Roads Rail Electrification Self-Driving Cars Tracked Electric Vehicle View More

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