A 1.5-kilometer stretch of French motorway will become the world’s first wireless charging highway when it goes live later in 2025, according to The Connexion.
Motorway operator Vinci has completed installation of induction plates beneath the A10 near Paris. Testing begins in September with four prototype vehicles – a car, van, coach, and truck.
The vehicles will have special receivers that pick up charge from coil segments buried under the road surface.
Underground and above-ground management units power the coils. Drivers can charge their batteries while moving at highway speeds without stopping at charging stations.
Little and Often Charging
Wireless EV charging uses a “little and often” approach that puts less stress on batteries compared to single large charging sessions.
This method extends battery life over time. It also reduces range anxiety since drivers don’t need to plan routes around charging stops.
EVs can use smaller, lighter batteries when wireless charging is available. Smaller batteries charge faster than larger units.
Despite digging up the road to install the technology, the highway surface looks unchanged. “You look at the road now and you will not know that it has this special technology in it,” a Vinci spokesperson told The Connexion.
“Installing the technology went well, and now the main testing sessions to check whether it is practical for electric lorries and cars are due to start in September.”
High Costs, Potential Profits
The technology comes with significant costs. French lawmakers learned in 2024 that each kilometer costs at least €4 million to install.
However, successful deployment could create new revenue streams for motorway operators.
They’d be able to sell electricity directly to drivers as vehicles travel along the roads.
Electreon, an Israeli company, has been deploying wireless charging across Europe, the United States, and Japan. The firm focuses on “dead zones” rather than long highway stretches.
These dead zones include traffic lights and bus stops where vehicles naturally pause. Cars and buses can receive small charging boosts while stationary at these locations.
The French highway project represents a major step beyond these smaller-scale installations – testing whether wireless charging can work effectively at motorway speeds over extended distances.
