Detroit unveils nation’s first EV-charging roadway at Michigan Central

Detroit officials are debuting a roadway they say could mark a sea change in how electric vehicles operate.

The short stretch of road — located on 14^th Street between Marantette and Dalzelle streets near Michigan Central Station — has been equipped with technology from Electreon that allows inductive-charging coils embedded in the street to wirelessly transfer electricity to electric vehicles equipped with Electreon receivers.

Tim Slusser, head of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation,  says electric vehicles could — in essence — have an endless fuel supply without ever having to plug into a charging station with widespread implementation of this new technology.

“Those vehicles will be able to drive over our roadway and actually receive a charge,” he said. “So they’ll charge while they’re driving, they’ll charge if they’re stopped at a traffic light or if they were parked.”

Officials say it’s the first test of the roads in a real-world situation. However, a key factor in determining how useful the technology will be will lie in how much roadway is necessary to keep and electric vehicle charged, Slusser said.

“Is it every three miles of roadway in the city? Is it every five miles…right? How much of this type of infrastructure would we need to put down in order to allow people to drive without ever having to truly plug their vehicle in?”

Though it cost several million dollars just for the small stretch of test roadway, Slusser says if the system works effectively, the city could possibly charge a fee for the electricity it provides vehicles.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Electreon have a five-year deal to test similar systems across the state.