Executive Summary
The Smartroad Gotland (SRG) project is the world’s first public wireless inductive Electric Road for heavy-duty vehicles located on the island of Gotland, south of Stockholm in Sweden’s Baltic Sea. The Electric Road is 1.65 km (~1 mile) in length and represents a groundbreaking development in the field of wireless Electric Road technology, also known as Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT). This white paper offers a comprehensive overview of the project, its objectives and its findings in ascertaining the feasibility of implementing the technology at a large scale to enable the transition to a net-zero electric transport sector.
Smartroad Gotland (SRG) Key Findings: Milestones and Accomplishments
A shared charging platform for all vehicles
In June 2021, Electreon became the first company globally to charge two commercial vehicles simultaneously from the same public road; showcasing the technology’s shared charging platform functionality. The vehicles, a 40-ton electric truck and a 12.5-meter electric bus, had differing battery systems and power requirements.
Smooth and continuous commercial vehicle operations
In June 2022, the electric bus began operating commercially on the Flygbussarna’s regular route while charging wirelessly from the road and at the stationary charging station, the operator, driver, and passengers reported being highly satisfied with the technology.
High power capacity
In September 2023, the electric truck received a 100 kW charge from the road while driving at speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph), the maximum permitted speed for trucks with trailers on the road.
Durable technology for harsh winter conditions
The technology underwent rigorous testing over four years (2019-2023). Independent third parties found that the technology does not impact the roadway structure, quality, or lifespan; and can withstand temperatures of -23 °C, without impacting charging, proving the technology’s suitability for harsh winter and arctic climates.
An Overview of the SRG Project
Sweden understood that plug-in charging infrastructure alone may not be enough to facilitate the transition to sustainable zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) and began investigating alternative solutions to achieve its 2030 net-zero goals a decade ago. The Swedish government has played a pioneering role in enabling innovative charging technology research, feasibility studies, and demonstrations including Electric Road System (ERS) projects. This project was designed to investigate all technical, logistical and economic aspects regarding the implementation of a wireless Electric Road System.
The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) commissioned Electreon AB, along with a consortium of partners to deploy the SRG project to further knowledge and assess the feasibility of the technology to minimize transport emissions and accelerate the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs); particularly heavy-duty commercial freight and logistic fleets vehicles that travel long distances on highways and face additional challenges in the pathway to carbon neutral electrification.
For more information on wireless charging visit our frequently asked questions page.