Electreon, an Israeli provider of wireless electric charging solutions, was selected to play a key role in an unprecedented French project to wirelessly charge electric cars, the company announced on Wednesday. The project will enable vehicles capable of being charged directly from under-road electric infrastructure, to travel on the route.
The initiative aims to promote decarbonized mobility and marks a significant step towards achieving France’s ambitious net-zero transport emissions goal.
The tender was awarded by Bpifrance – France’s public sector investment bank – to a consortium led by VINCI Autoroutes. Electreon’s partners in the consortium include VINCI Construction, Hutchinson, and Gustave Eiffel University.
Electreon, which is based in Beit Yanai, near Netanya, will install its infrastructure on a two-kilometer stretch of the A10 highway, southwest of Paris. The A10, also known as L’Aquitaine, is France’s longest motorway, running 549 km (341 miles) from Paris to Bordeaux.
“We are honored that Electreon has been selected as the on-the-go wireless charging technology for France’s first ERS deployment. Electreon is excited to once again partner with VINCI, and due to the strategic importance of the French market, is expanding its presence in the region,” said Oren Ezer, Electreon’s CEO and co-founder.
Electreon’s infrastructure for wireless charging has already been installed in other countries, including Israel, the US, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Norway.
According to Electreon, the technology is based on magnetic resonance induction, with copper coils installed under the roadway. The coils transfer energy to a receiver that can be mounted under any kind of electric vehicle, such as trucks, vans, buses and cars. With proper maintenance, Electreon estimates the coils and the rest of the charging infrastructure should have a life-span of 10-20 years.
The wireless charging infrastructure will cater to all vehicle types and classes, and Electreon plans to provide a 40-ton truck, a bus, and invite leading automotive partners to leverage the capabilities of their new product.
The project will initially focus on charging commercial electric fleets while they are in motion. However, the long-term objective is to deploy an Electric Road System across major French roadways. The system will enable all types of electric vehicles, such as trucks, coaches, utility vehicles, and passenger vehicles, to charge seamlessly while driving on open highways in France, decarbonizing both passenger and freight transport.
A study conducted by the French Transportation Ministry in 2021 identified this system as one of the most efficient and sustainable large-scale technologies for achieving net-zero transport emissions. The study said that Electric Road Systems have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions from road and freight transport by 86% compared to diesel.
That study also proposed a plan to deploy Electric Road Systems across nearly 5,000 km of French roads by 2030 and nearly 9,000 km by 2035.
In May, Electreon announced that it had set a a new world record for the longest time and distance ever driven non-stop by a passenger Electric Vehicle. During their 100-hour demonstration, a Toyota RAV4 drove 1,942 km (1,206 miles) without stopping to charge the batteries. For five consecutive days, the engine was not turned off, even to switch drivers.
