As more car makers join the EV bandwagon, charging has become a bigger challenge. While some government agencies and private sectors continue to invest in charging stations, there are companies that are coming up with innovative ideas to solve the charging problem.

Take Sweden for example, it is currently leading the way with roadways that are able to charge a car as it moves over a certain stretch of road.

Sweden has already tested four temporary electric roadways. But a 21-kilometre road will be the world’s first permanent electric road that charges EV’s on-the-go.

The electric road system (ERS), which is currently in the procurement and final planning stages, is scheduled to be finished and open to the public by 2025.

How does the system work?

The Swedish government’s transport agency, Trafikverket, is considering – and has already tested – options like overhead power lines, ground-level electric rails, or road-embedded inductive coils.

Power is supplied from overhead wires to cars through a pantograph in the case of overhead conductive charging, much like how trams work. For accessing electric wires, heavy-duty vehicles are the greatest options for this strategy.