A stretch of 14th Street in Corktown could be a precursor to many public roads in the future. This week, leaders from the City of Detroit, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Michigan Central, and Electreon celebrated the unveiling of the nation's first public EV charging road in Corktown.
From Dalzelle to Marantette on 14th Street, the roadway now has inductive-charging coils beneath the surface, which will charge electric vehicles that have Electreon receivers. When a vehicle with the receiver gets near the road, electricity is wirelessly transferred through the road. The road is only activated when a receiver is nearby.
A Ford E-Transit electric commercial van will be used to test the efficiency of the charging, and to study how public transportation can use this technology in the future.
Electreon plans to make this technology more widely available in the coming years, and this roadway at Michigan Central will be used to test the technology.
"We're excited to spearhead the development and deployment of America's first wireless charging road," said Dr. Stefan Tongur, Electreon vice president of business development. "Alongside Michigan's automotive expertise, we'll demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs. This project paves the way for a zero-emission mobility future, where EVs are the norm, not the exception."
This quarter-mile stretch is the first part of a planned mile-long effort. When Michigan Avenue is rebuilt next year, part of it will also have inductive charging.
Electreon also has a charging station at Newlab in Michigan Central. The roadway has the capability of both static, or parked, charging and dynamic, or driving, charging.
"We are excited to partner with MDOT, the City of Detroit and Electreon to bring the future of roads to Michigan," said Michigan Central CEO Joshua Sirefman. "This is what Michigan Central is all about, not only convening key partners across the public and private sectors to fuel innovation and create jobs and investment in Detroit, but also providing the environment to safely test and hone technology like Electreon in real time and in the real world. It is through this collaboration and advancement that Michigan Central is helping to tackle global problems and fast-track solutions to many of our greatest mobility challenges."
Ford is currently finishing its transformation of the historic Michigan Central Station in Corktown, expected to open next year. The company also rehabbed the neighboring Book Depository, which is now home to Newlab.
