The Israeli company ElectReon Wireless that specializes in inductive charging of electric vehicles announced that it would integrate its wireless technology to charge two Stellantis vehicles and an IVECO bus while driving in Brescia, Italy, as a part of the “Arena of the Future” project.
The project aims to demonstrate contactless charging for a range of electric vehicles as they drive on highways and toll roads as a potential pathway to decarbonizing our transportation systems along motorway transport corridors. In addition to ElectReon, Stellantis, and Iveco, other participants in the “Arena of the Future” include ABB, a leading global engineering and power electronics company; FIAMM Energy Technology, a multinational energy storage provider; Pizzarotti, large-scale projects builders; and three Italian universities.
“The Arena of the Future project will demonstrate how a toll road can be transformed into a charging asset for all road users,” said Oren Ezer, CEO of ElectReon. “With Europe at the forefront of this electric mobility shift, there is a critical need for assets that can be supported by suitable, efficient, and sustainable charging methodologies. ElectReon’s wireless charging technology enables vehicles to charge as they drive at any speed on electric highways, offers road users total convenience and increased affordability, equips governments and policymakers with a sustainable way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the entire life cycle of electric vehicles (EVs) and offers a viable path to expedite achieving net carbon emissions throughout the entire transportation sector.“
In October last year, the company had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Italian toll road operator, Brebemi. According to this contract, a one-kilometer test section of the A35 highway between Brescia and Milan will be equipped with ElectReon inductive charging technology.
The current announcement states that the company will be responsible for deploying an electric road system on a stretch spanning approximately 1,050 meters which will be connected to an approximately 1-megawatt grid connection. This closed ring road will be given the name “Arena of the Future” or “Arena del Futuro” in Italian, which is located near the Chiari Ovest exit of the A35 Motorway, approximately 50 kilometers from the city of Milan. This road is anticipated to charge the vehicles participating in the Pilot, both while in motion and when stationary.
The partner companies and the universities will explore advanced IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity technologies to ensure the greatest road safety and increase the productivity of commercial vehicles in the deployment of wireless charging road systems. It will also explore road construction optimization in order to increase road durability while not interfering with the efficiency of inductive charging systems built into the specified roads.
The company will demonstrate the suitability of its wireless charging technology for a full range of applications in collaboration with several passenger vehicles as well as Iveco’s intercity bus. This is a critical milestone towards ElectReon’s mission of offering fleet customers a complete and seamless vehicle-side wireless charging solution for rapid decarbonization.
