Sweden is turning a highway into a permanent electrified road, the first of its kind in the world. The project aims to expand electric roads in Sweden by 3,000 km by 2045, and it is currently at the procurement stage, with construction planned to be completed by 2025. The chosen motorway, European route E20, connects logistic hubs between Hallsberg and Örebro, located in the middle of Sweden's three major cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. The electrified road will allow cars and trucks to recharge while driving, using either a catenary system, inductive system, or conductive system. The project will also reduce the need for heavy vehicles to carry a large amount of batteries, making it more efficient for the system to work. While much of the Electric Road System (ERS) focuses on trucks, a recent study suggested that private cars could also benefit from dynamic charging, which can reduce the size of the battery by up to 70%. Researchers behind the study also say that not all roads in Sweden need to be electrified; doing so on only 25% of all roads would be efficient for the system to work. Other countries like Italy, the UK, the United States, and India are also investing in building electric road systems.
Photo Credit: Holden Baxter