Red States Pitch The Wireless EV Charging System Of The Future

The article discusses the emerging development of wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging systems embedded in roadways, highlighting efforts led by traditionally conservative states like Florida and Indiana. While the concept of charging EVs wirelessly while driving has long seemed futuristic, progress is accelerating. Michigan announced plans in 2021 to implement in-road wireless charging on public roads and is expanding these efforts to commercial delivery vehicles. Florida is advancing a similar initiative on State Road 516, a 4.4-mile stretch designed as a sustainable showcase incorporating solar power, native landscaping, and wildlife underpasses. The Florida project uses technology from the US firm ENRX, which employs electromagnetic induction coils embedded in the road to transfer energy wirelessly to specially equipped EVs, supporting a range of vehicle classes from passenger cars to heavy trucks. Indiana, despite historically low EV adoption and a reputation tied to coal and gas-powered vehicles, is also pioneering wireless charging technology. Purdue University engineers developed and tested an in-road wireless charging system demonstrated on a quarter