Electric roads could be the solution to the lack of infrastructure for electric cars. New projects promise to fuel any electric car model on the go.

One of the main reasons for gas vehicle owners not to adopt electric cars is due to low autonomy and few recharging points. Both in Brazil and in other countries, the absence of charging infrastructure can scare those who plan buy an electric car.

Electric roads could change the course of the electric car market

However, for those who have been disappointed, a new solution can put an end to that fear. Its about electric road projects emerging around the world to complement charging at stations and totems, enabling the vehicle to recharge itself while in motion.

The project emerged as an alternative to charging at home or at charging stations that do not have the ideal infrastructure for the target audience. In this way, electric roads can ensure that the consumer is never left without “fuel” and attract more buyers to the electric car sector.

According to the professor of Civil and Biological Engineering at Purdue University, Nadia Gkritza, in an interview, although electric roads are not present everywhere in the United States, they are viable both financially and in terms of technology.

For the professor, electric roads can be a way out of the obstacle, for example, in rural areas, where charging infrastructure is still precarious. This can not only help individual electric car owners, but also fleet vehicles or public transport that pass the same location repeatedly. This way, they wouldn't have to park to recharge, and could drive around non-stop all day.

Pilot projects

Electron, a wireless electric car charging provider, has several pilot projects around the world and is participating in the first electric road trial in Detroit, United States. According to the company's Vice President of Business Development, Stefan Tongur, to the newspaper, the approach can load vehicles of any type of shape, from individual cars to buses, trucks and vans, both stationary on the road and in motion.

Another initiative comes from a group of researchers in the solar energy sector in the USA, in Cornell University, who are working on a project for a type of wireless charging system on the country's highways. According to researchers from the solar energy industry, especially engineering professor Khurram Afridi, one of the project's creators, if a car is discharging, it simply goes over the lane to recharge, being able to identify vehicles that are traveling and then send the energy.

New solid-state batteries promise to deliver more autonomy

Another initiative that has been explored by companies and several automakers is solid-state batteries. In July last year, QuantumScape announced incredible performance numbers for its first commercially viable lithium metal solid-state battery. global automotive industry.

The company claims it can increase the range of an electric car by up to 80%, and that it can charge from 0 to 80% in just 15 minutes. By using a solid electrolyte in place of the typical liquid solution, solid-state batteries can store considerably more energy by weight and volume than lithium-ion batteries.

However, making components that are reliable and have a service life suitable for any driver's demands, high charging and discharging rates, long service life and without any concerns about temperature or safety, has proven difficult so far. The company claims to have solved the problem of electric car range with a new design that uses lithium-metal anodes that are not formed during manufacturing, but rather around the current collector when the battery is charged.