The U.K. plans to convenience electric vehicles by experimenting with “re-charging” lanes. Electric vehicles have a lower driving range, which means they need to access charging stations more frequently.
Battery-powered vehicles have a lower driving range than gas-powered vehicles. Until better improvements develop, electric vehicles cannot go as far as gas-powered vehicles without needing energy.
The most electric vehicles can travel before needing more energy is 10 to 40 miles. Except for Tesla’s electric vehicle that claims a range of 240 miles. But for most, the excessive charging is a downside.
The government-operated Highways England plans to overcome this challenge by providing road lanes that can charge electric vehicles as they drive.
Mike Wilson stated, “Vehicle technologies are advancing at an ever increasing pace and we’re committed to supporting the growth of ultra-low emissions vehicles on England’s motorways and major A roads.”
The roads would recharge vehicles by incorporating electric cables underneath the surface that would provide electromagnetic fields. Electric vehicles would have to be made with wireless transmitters constructed with coils, which could pick up the energy from the cables to be converted into electricity.
South Korea has already instituted a similar design that allows electric buses to drive over a 7 mile road in order to gain energy. There is a good chance that the technology would be efficient and practical.
Before the idea can be instituted, testing needs to be carried out off of public roads. A study is set to begin after the construction of a test track. The testing will take place over a span of 18 months.
The hope, as Wilson stated, is “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 10-40 miles before a recharge is misleading. I’ve driven from Scotland to Bristol several times with my Nissan Leaf and know intimately how far I can drive without recharging. 10-40 miles is probably true for many hybrids but is certainly not true for the 100% electric vehicles I know & love.
Yup. This article is basically wrong. You’d think an EV site could get such basics right. Even the Volt PHEV gets 50+ miles on a charge, and it’s not even a BEV.