The pavement beneath our tires has historically been a passive surface that does nothing but wear down rubber. Florida planners envision a near future where the asphalt itself actively fuels the vehicles driving over it. State Road 516 will soon serve as the foundation for a pilot program designed to wirelessly transfer energy to moving electric cars. This infrastructure project aims to transform the simple act of driving into a continuous refueling session.
• Florida planners are designing asphalt that fuels moving vehicles
• State Road 516 will host a wireless charging pilot program
• The project aims to make driving a continuous refueling session
Construction crews are scheduled to break ground in 2026 on this experimental stretch of central Florida infrastructure. The wireless capabilities will be installed underneath a three-quarter-mile portion of the larger Lake/Orange Expressway expansion. Regular drivers will utilize the highway when it opens to the public in 2029. Only specially equipped test units will initially be able to draw power from the lane while the technology undergoes rigorous evaluation.
• Construction on the experimental road begins in 2026
• The wireless section covers three-quarters of a mile
• Only special test vehicles can use the charging feature initially
Similar initiatives are appearing globally as engineers determine whether passenger cars or heavy transport trucks benefit most from the technology. France recently activated a route for wirelessly charging trucks while Michigan announced plans for a public roadway test in Detroit. Purdue University researchers achieved a major breakthrough by successfully charging a semi-trailer traveling at highway speeds earlier this month. Their system delivered enough kilowattage to support even the heaviest class of commercial vehicles.
• Global initiatives are testing the tech on cars and trucks
• Purdue University successfully charged a moving semi-truck
• The system delivered enough power for heavy commercial vehicles
Scaling inductive charging from smartphones to automobiles presents a massive engineering hurdle. High speeds require significantly higher power levels to make the energy transfer effective during the brief window of contact over the coils. Batteries in electric vehicles demand a robust energy flow that standard systems struggle to match without a physical connection. Engineers are racing to solve these physics problems to make the system viable for the velocity of highway commuting.
• Scaling inductive charging to cars is a major engineering hurdle
• High speeds require rapid and powerful energy transfer
• Engineers are working to make the system viable for highways
Industry leaders view this technology as the missing link for fully autonomous transportation. Tesla has signaled strong interest in wireless solutions for its upcoming robotaxis and updated Supercharger network. A vehicle that parks itself over a pad or refuels while driving eliminates the final human labor requirement of plugging in a cord. Passive energy collection brings the concept of infinite range closer to reality than ever before.
• Tech leaders see wireless charging as key for autonomy
• Tesla is exploring the technology for robotaxis and chargers
• Passive refueling eliminates the need for human intervention
Via: PC Mag
