Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Director Brad Wieferich and other partners yesterday celebrated a milestone in the future of mobility and electrification  at the Michigan Central* innovation district in Detroit as crews have finished installing the nation’s first wireless-charging public roadway.

Using technology from Israeli company Electreon, 14th Street is now equipped with inductive-charging coils between Marantette and Dalzelle streets that will charge electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with Electreon receivers as they drive on the road. The road will be used to test and improve this wireless-charging technology in a real-world environment before making it available to the public in the next few years.

Electreon’s wireless charging technology is deployed in dedicated zones and along Electric Roads, allowing e-fleets to charge throughout their operational day. This reduces the need for heavy batteries and flattens the electricity demand curve. Electreon includes underground infrastructure, vehicle-side technology, and charging management software.