Swedish start-up company, Elonroad is constructing a road, with the assistance of Hydro, which charges electric vehicles while they drive.
Hydro is assisting by manufacturing the critical aluminium-made electric loops for the project.
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Elonroad, in collaboration with Sweden’s Lund University, has been commissioned to build 1,000 metres of road in Getingevägen, in Lund city centre. EVolution Road is a three-year project the Swedish Transport Administration intends to use as a demonstration site.
The electric road concept charges all types of electric vehicles when parked as well as when driving. The 1,000-metre test stretch in Lund is being built and will be in operation this June. It will be the first electric road system to be placed in an urban environment.
In October, 2018, Elonroad met with Hydro to discuss delivery of an extruded aluminium profile – a road profile – which could contain electronics and a rail for charging electric cars while driving.
Such a profile would need to be precisely machined along its entire length, as well as its top and bottom, so the electronics, cables, positive leads could be fitted and the rail mounted.
“It is very interesting and stimulating to cooperate with Elonroad and thus contribute to the sustainable transport of the future on our roads,” said Hydro project lead, Hans Fredriksson.
The Elonroad aluminium charging rail is embedded in the road.
Hydro’s aluminium manufacturing plant in Vetlanda started delivery of the product this year. It has supplied 500m metres of the ‘road profile’ as well as 1,000 metres of positive leads as finished components. These processed components correspond to 500 metres of electrified road.
Elonroad founder, Dan Zethraeus says one of the most important benefits of electric roads is they can significantly reduce the size of the vehicle’s battery – and the weight of the car. “This allows you to carry more goods or passengers,” he said. “Charging while driving also eliminates the need for downtime to charge the batteries, which saves time.”
