Jacobs working on first electric charging road in the US

A consortium has been selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to develop and implement an inductive vehicle charging pilot – said to be the first of its kind in the US.

Jacobs is the engineering partner, providing project management and design services to deliver the one-mile stretch of road from development through to operation.  

The project team will be led by Electreon, a provider of wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs). The road will feature embedded coils under the road pavement, together with semi-dynamic charging stations at end-point terminals. These will charge vehicles while stationary in a queuing or parking lane.

The consortium will design and build the one-mile road of dynamic and stationary wireless EV charging technology in Detroit, hosted by the Michigan Central mobility innovation district.

“As the world transitions to the future of electrified transportation, cities and communities are seeking and adopting green economic-centric models as part of the transformation,” said Jacobs People and Places Solutions Americas Senior Vice President, Ron Williams.

“This innovative pilot project aims to demonstrate efficient vehicle operability to prove the viability of wireless EV charging. Jacobs is committed to delivering decarbonization solutions to address the increasingly critical issue of climate change.”