Electric Road System for everyone – Elonroad provides a holistic charging solution for all electric vehicles – commercial or private, light or heavy, autonomous or not, to use while driving or parked. It’s data heavy, highly connected and fully automatic! The system can be used to build charging infrastructure such as electric roads, charging stations and opportunity chargers at stops and loading bays. Elonroad is basically “Electricity On Road”!!

So, how does Elonroad work? Elonroad concept involves a conductive rail. It can be laid on top of the road or merged down. The on top version is 38mm high and 350mm wide with inclined sides of only 10 degrees to make it smooth when changing lanes. It is glued to the asphalt via mounting plates. The submerged rail is merged down into the asphalt, has a flat top aligned with the surrounding asphalt. It’s 300mm wide and 50mm deep. It works well on highways since it’s completely flat.

Elonroad Concept

Another important part of the Elonroad concept is the “Pick Up”. This is the part which connects the vehicle to the electric road. It is placed under the vehicle and offers an economic and simple solution for all types of vehicles. The Car mounted “Pick Up” is only 200mm high and can be retrofitted under EVs. For an electric bus and trucks, the “Pick Up” is bigger. The dimensions are 2400mm x 1000mm x 60mm (LxWxH). The weight of the “Pick Up” for a car is 40 kg whereas for a bus, it is 100 kg. The “Pick Up” slides along the rail and transfers current up to the vehicle. With three sliding contacts in a smart arrangement, it reaches plus and minus poles simultaneously. An onboard DC/DC converter charges the batteries when using the electric road.

So, you would ask if the Elonroad concept is weatherproof? The conductive rail can be heated to melt snow and ice when needed. To remove snow from the road Elonroad has developed a special snow plow. It can remove the snow as a regular plow. It´s been tested in Swedish winter conditions. In the case of a road surfaces covered with sludge and road salt that conduct current, leakage currents are prevented through earthed ledge out towards the asphalt. In addition, a control measurement of is performed so that power can be safely switched on. The on top mounted rail stands on grooved rubber so that rainwater can easily flow under the rail as the asphalt usually slopes a little to the side.

Elonroad laid on the roads of Sweden!

Elonroad has multiple applications. It can be used for electric long haul transports and make electric highways. It can be used at parking stations for taxis, short haul delivery companies and the same for private and commercial vehicles. It can be used for city bus lines and also in autonomous applications. Autonomous shuttles running on fixed paths, ports and warehouses where trucks have to run in specific paths, internal transport in company or university campuses, it can be used everywhere. Demonstrating their capabilities, Elonroad already have a few pilot projects. They have teamed up with DHL in a model to speed up electrification of freight transports to provide their drivers cable free charging.

Another demonstration project by Elonroad is EVolutionRoad. It is a project assigned by the Swedish Transport Administration to build a pioneering test and demonstration site with Elonroad’s unique electric road system in the city of Lund. The purpose is to contribute to increasing knowledge about electric roads as part of the future fossil-free transport system. It’s the first electric road with a ground level feeding system tested in an urban environment with a city bus and other vehicles.

We are glad to have met Anna Palmqvist, Production Manager for Elonroad at IAA Mobility 2021 and having a great chat on the technology they’re working on. Thanking Anna for providing this information for our audience, we share two more links – Elonroad Electric Road System Explained & Elonroad – How It Works?. Wishing Elonroad team the best in the future!