First electrical road introduced in Sweden
Sweden has become the first country to introduce a road where electric vehicles can be charged as they are travelling, becoming fully sustainable. There is an estimated 1.2 miles of electrical rail built into one of the public roads just outside of the capital, Stockholm. This is with the hopes that if the project is successful, other countries will introduce such roads to embrace the future of electrical vehicles.
This is operational thanks to energy transferred from rails through a movable arm which is placed on the bottom of an electric car/HGV. The vehicle moves over the rail, which is detected by the arm which raises when in contact with the rail.
Meanwhile the rail stays connected to a power grid and is divides into sections to ensure the electricity only surges while the correct vehicles are over the rail. Energy consumption is calculated meaning the costs are charged to each electrical vehicle. Electric trucks are being tested as part of the project.
“One of the most important issues of our time is the question of how to make fossil-free road transportation a reality,” said the Chairman of eRoad Arlanda Consortium: Hans Säll, who are responsible for the road.
“We now have a solution that will make this possible, which is amazing.”
“Sweden is at the cutting edge of this technology, which we now hope to introduce in other areas of the country and the world.”
Electrifying the roads across Sweden could be beneficial as it can reduce carbon emissions with minimal modification. The advantage of electrifying roads is that existing infrastructure can have its energy consumption and carbon emissions reduced with minimal modification.
Sweden is a world leader in providing the earth with clean energy, back in 2015 Swedish PM Stefan Löfven revealed the country was working towards becoming "one of the first fossil fuel-free welfare states in the world.”
This is one of several attempts by the Swedish Transport Administration to introduce electrical roads, with the success of the most recent. The government plans to make the transport infrastructure of Sweden fossil fuel-free by 2030. In 2018, road traffic is responsible for a third of Sweden’s emissions.
“It is important to break new ground when it comes to climate-smart road transport,” said Lena Erixon, director general of the administration.
"That's why the Swedish transports innovative development projects that contribute to long-term, sustainable solutions.”
The researchers estimate that around 3% of the road network would need to have this technology developed to majorly cut carbon emissions on a nationwide scale. The shorter journeys can be resolved by undertaking vehicles’ stored battery power.