Sweden Is Building The World’s First ‘EV Charging’ Roads

Sweden is about to take EV charging to the next level – by building the world’s first permanent electrified motorway. Yes, you heard that right: cars will soon be able to charge while driving, no pit stop required.

Set to be built by 2025, the project will turn a section of the E20 motorway, between Hallsberg and Örebro, into an electric road that keeps vehicles topped up on the move. The goal? Slashing CO2 emissions and making EV life easier just in time for the EU’s 2035 ban on new fossil fuel cars.

MORE: The 3 most common Electric Car questions answered

DISCOVER: Cadillac has made a car for couples who are really into each other

Dynamic charging could be a game changer. Not only could it eliminate those long queues at charging stations, but it also means vehicles can use smaller, lighter batteries – ideal for extending driving range without the heavy baggage.

“We think the electrification solution is the way forward for decarbonising the transport sector,” said Jan Pettersson, Director of Strategic Development at Sweden’s transport agency Trafikverket, speaking to Euronews Next.

Sweden has been busy pioneering electric roads through several pilot projects, but this is the first time they’re going permanent. The charging method for E20 is still up for debate, with three options on the table: catenary systems (overhead wires), conductive ground rails (where a stick touches a rail in the road), or inductive charging (wireless, from coils buried under the surface).

Image @wishnailstudio via Pinterest

MORE: Why we are kind of obsessed with the XC40

DISCOVER: Jaguar’s New Cars Sparks Debate—Stunning or a Sickening?

They’re not starting from scratch. Back in 2018, Trafikverket built the world’s first charging rail for public roads near Stockholm’s Arlanda airport. Then, in 2020, they added a wireless charging road in Visby for heavy-duty vehicles. Sweden clearly isn’t messing around when it comes to electric mobility.

While trucks are the main focus, researchers say private drivers could also get a major upgrade. A study simulating the journeys of over 400 privately driven cars found that combining home charging with dynamic road charging could slash battery sizes by up to 70 per cent. That’s a lighter, cheaper EV future.

Even better, the study suggested Sweden only needs to electrify about 25 per cent of its roads for the system to work effectively. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Urban drivers, who live closer to electrified roads, would benefit the most, needing smaller batteries than their rural counterparts, explained Dr Wasim Shoman from Chalmers University of Technology.

MORE: US study suggests “macho” men are hesitant to buy electric cars

DISCOVER: Tech Talk: Nicole Melillo Shaw, Consumer Director of Volvo UK

Still, there’s a lot of work to be done. “The technology is maturing,” Shoman said, and assumptions have been made. But if development continues, the future looks shockingly good.

Other countries are racing to catch up too. Germany, France, Italy, the UK, the US, and India are all getting serious about electric roads. Sweden, meanwhile, plans to roll out another 3,000km of electrified roads by 2045.

The electric highway revolution is officially underway. And it is looking supercharged.