Concrete That Can Wirelessly Charge EVs While in Motion

Holcim has partnered with German startup Magment GmbH to advance its magnetizable concrete technology for road surfaces to enable electric vehicles to recharge wirelessly while in motion.

Dubbed ‘inductive charging’, the innovation is made possible by a unique concrete with high magnetic permeability jointly made by researchers from both companies.

It reduces the need for charging stations along the highways.

Edelio Bermejo, head of Holcim’s Global Innovation Centre, said his company was “excited to be developing concrete solutions to accelerate electric mobility”.

Bermejo said Holcim is increasingly partnering with start-ups all over the world to constantly push the boundaries of innovation to lead the way in sustainability.

Mauricio Esguerra, Co-founder & CEO of Magment, said: “We are proud to collaborate with a global leader in innovative and sustainable solutions like Holcim. By developing superior grades of our magnetizable concrete technology we will be a key enabler for the sustainable, electric transportation of the future.”

The ‘breakthrough’ technology is currently undergoing tests at Purdue University, Indiana, United States with highway trials planned soon.

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The trial, which is fronted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and Purdue University, seeks to create a road that can wirelessly charge EVs as they move along.

During phases one and two of the project, magnetisable concrete will be tested and analysed on a stretch of pavement at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus.

In phase three, a quarter-mile-long road will be built to allow engineers to monitor the concrete’s capacity to charge heavy trucks at a high power of 200kW and above.

If the tests return positive results, INDOT will use the innovative concrete to electrify a yet-to-be-disclosed segment of interstate highway within Indiana.

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