VINCI tests charge-as-you-drive technology that could reduce need for EV charging stations
A section of France’s A10 motorway near Paris has become the testing ground for a potentially transformative electric-vehicle technology that could end the need for stationary charging. VINCI Autoroutes, in partnership with Electreon, Gustave Eiffel University and Hutchinson, has equipped a 1.5 km stretch of road with induction coils embedded beneath the surface, allowing suitably fitted vehicles to recharge while driving in live traffic.
Four prototype vehicles—a truck, a van, a passenger car and a bus—are taking part in the world-first trial under real motorway conditions. The system transmits power wirelessly from coils in the asphalt to receiver plates mounted under the vehicles, delivering up to 300 kW of peak power and around 200 kW in steady operation. The coils and road materials were extensively tested for durability to ensure they could withstand the mechanical stresses of heavy traffic.
Developers say the charge-as-you-drive approach could dramatically reduce the need for large, expensive and heavy batteries in electric vehicles, cutting manufacturing emissions, raw-material use and overall vehicle weight.
For freight transport in particular, lighter batteries mean increased payloads and improved efficiency, while the ability to recharge on the move would help eliminate downtime spent at charging stations. The system also promises to reduce the strain on the grid by distributing charging more evenly across the day.
The project has moved from closed-circuit trials into real-world operation after securing regulatory approval. Engineers will now collect and analyse data from the test vehicles to assess performance, durability and energy transfer under varying speeds and weather conditions. Early results, according to VINCI and Electreon, are “highly promising,” showing stable charging even in heavy motorway traffic.
If proven viable, VINCI Autoroutes plans to extend the technology across more sections of its network and potentially integrate it into wider European corridors. The partners believe the technology potentially offers a new model of electric mobility—one in which roads are part of the energy infrastructure.