Electreon, a provider of wireless and in-road wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, is deploying its first public wireless EV charging road system in the U.S.
The company won the RFP to build an electric road system (ERS) in Detroit as part of the inductive vehicle charging pilot program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC).
“We are excited to enter the U.S. market and collaborate with industry leaders to further enhance the country’s mobility ecosystem,” says Stefan Tongur, vice president of business development for Electreon in the U.S. “Michigan’s automotive industry roots built a foundation for mobility innovation and we’re thrilled to join this community of experts.”
The wireless charging infrastructure, which will be implemented in the Michigan Central district, will support a suite of use cases involving various vehicle types and partners including autonomous vehicles.
“We are looking forward to collaborating with departments of transportation, state and municipal agencies, and automotive and mobility industry innovators in Michigan, California and New York on charging infrastructure that’s vehicle agnostic and can be included in any electric vehicle,” Tongur adds. “Our technology has the potential to support electric fleets of all types from public transit buses to delivery vans and long-haul trucks for logistics.”
Electreon will lead the design, evaluation, iteration, testing and implementation of the pilot program, which aims to be operational by 2023. The project is currently slated for a stretch of road up to one mile long in Detroit and will include dynamic and stationary wireless EV charging. The project will be hosted by and live within Michigan Central, a mobility innovation district, and supported by Next Energy, Ford Motor Co., DTE, Jacobs Engineering Group and the City of Detroit.
“Hosting the first wireless charging road system in the U.S. as part of the open platform we are providing at Michigan Central will serve as a magnet to attract innovators to test on this nationally significant asset joining in the work with Electreon, Next Energy and many others, and also show people the value electrification can create,” states Carolina Pluszczynski, Michigan Central’s development director. “We are excited to actively work with Electreon and source pilot opportunities with such innovators to leverage the open wireless charging system.”
Electreon’s charging infrastructure, which can wirelessly charge EVs while in motion and stationary, has active operating pilots in Germany, Italy and Sweden. The company is preparing to execute a recently signed commercial deal to provide a “plug-free” charging network for 200 public buses in Tel Aviv, Israel.
“Here in Michigan, embracing bold innovations that transform the future of mobility and electrification is a part of our DNA,” says Trevor Pawl, chief mobility officer for the state of Michigan. “We are thrilled to see how Electreon’s proposals become a nationwide model for how we can continue accelerating electric vehicle adoption and usher in a new generation of transportation technologies.”
“It is a privilege to be working with the State of Michigan to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in the Motor City,” comments Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon. “This is a monumental step towards expanding our U.S. presence and team, and it’s exciting to start in the birthplace of the modern automobile industry. We plan to build on Electreon’s proven track record of success globally, and demonstrate its ability to help the U.S. realize its electrification and emissions reduction goals.”