A road in Detroit will charge an electric car while driving

Author: KHRISTOPHER J. BROOKS / CBS News
Published: Updated:
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 12: Attendees look at components for an electric vehicle at the Panasonic booth at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 12, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 13 and features more than 3,100 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 140,000 attendees. Photo via AP.
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 12: Attendees look at components for an electric vehicle at the Panasonic booth at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 12, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 13 and features more than 3,100 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 140,000 attendees. Photo via AP.

An Israeli startup plans to build about one mile of pavement in Michigan that will wirelessly charge electric vehicles as drivers roll past, marking a first-of-its-kind infrastructure project in the U.S.

Electreon, based in Beit Yanai, won a contract with the state to build the charging road system near downtown Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday.

Electreon uses special coils embedded in the pavement that send magnetic frequencies to a charging pad underneath a vehicle. The battery gets charged whenever an electric car cruises along that pavement or stops on the road. The approach is similar to how wireless charging pads send juice to your cell phone. The coils do not react to or harm gas-powered vehicles, according to Electreon.

Electreon’s road in the Motor City will be able to charge all-electric vehicles, including electric buses. Part of the system will be finished and ready for use next year, the company said in a statement. State officials didn’t reveal how much the project will cost but said the state’s transportation department will contribute $1.9 million and Electreon will foot the rest.

“Michigan is aggressively rolling out various charging solutions, and we need to continue to stay ahead of the technology curve,” transportation director Paul Ajegba said in a statement on Tuesday. “A wireless in-road charging system will be revolutionary for electric vehicles, potentially extending their charge without having to stop.”

Electreon has been testing its technology in Italy since December and has other tests underway in Germany and Sweden. In October, the company signed a $9.4 million deal to bring its technology to electric buses in Tel Aviv.

Electric vehicle drivers in the U.S. typically charge their rides by parking at a charging station or at home and plugging in a cord. Electreon and other startups believe that method is inefficient and are creating new ways for drivers to charge without plug in and waiting.

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