Electric cars not only promise a greener future for Earth, but they cost less money over time to keep on the road. The only flaw is they may only get around 260 miles to a full charge while cars that run on normal gas can get 300 miles or more.
This creates what’s called “range anxiety”, a person experiences this when they don’t know how far their car will go or if they will even make it to their next stop. A construction company in the United Kingdom hopes to eliminate “range anxiety”.
Later this year, government-owned Highways England will launch an 18 month long trial of a strip of road that you car can draw power from and charge your vehicle as you drive.
How does it work?
Electric cars will need to be fitted with the wireless technology and special equipment. The equipment will be installed beneath the roads and replicate motorway conditions. The pavement will conceal the electric cables buried under the surface, which generate the electromagnetic fields that will then be picked up by the coil inside the device on the car and converted into electricity.
Mike Wilson, chief engineer for Highways England was quoted saying,
“Vehicle technologies are advancing at an ever-increasing pace and we’re committed to supporting the growth of ultralow emissions vehicles on England’s motorways. The off-road trials of wireless power technology will help to create a more sustainable road network for England and open up new opportunities for businesses that transport goods across the country.”
The tests being performed are some of several concepts that are being studied by the highway planners. They strive to make the world’s roadways more evolved and ultimately better for the environment.
An electric highway would most likely come with some sort of toll, allowing cars to use the government’s electricity when they drive, helping the government bring in more revenues. The toll would be just like pulling into a gas station for normal cars today.
The U.K. is part of a $17 billion, five year plan to transform England’s existing “brutal, crass, and ugly” ecosystem into something better. Transport minister John Hayes was quoted saying,
“We want roads to be based upon principles of good design. From maintaining the right proportions in construction to use of street lighting, signage and other roads ‘furniture’ and from delivering better air quality and biodiversity.”
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