Smartroad Gotland is a unique pre-commercial demonstration project with the purpose of building knowledge for the future electricity roads. This is done by implementing an inductive electric road, compatible with all types of vehicles, in Visby, Sweden. The project is implemented by the consortium for Smartroad Gotland, under the leadership of Electreon AB. This world leading technique have created an opportunity to massively reduce the need for fossil fuels and simultaneously decrease air and noise pollution in urban areas.

The project is led by the company behind the technology: Electreon AB, a subsidiary of the Israeli company Electeon Wireless. The project is one of four electric road demonstration projects financed by the Swedish Transport Administration.

Smartroad Gotland is a pre commercial demonstration project that aims to build knowledge and create possibilities for a large scale development of electric roads in Sweden. It contains a wireless electric road that uses inductive technology for dynamic charging of vehicles while driving. 

The inductive electric road reduces the need for fossil fuels for heavy transports in a sustainable, cost efficient and energy efficient way. Electric roads also reduce air pollution and noise near highways and in urban environments.

Gotland is a region with good possibilities to lead the development towards future energy systems through solar-, wind and water energy. In addition to natural resources the Gotland region is a hub for innovation, with lots of connections between public, civil and private operators. The Gotland climate enables tests of the technology in different conditions, such as ice and snow. In other words - both the physical and social conditions on Gotland are a good foundation for a successful demonstration project.

The 4 km road stretch, of which 1,6 km is electrified (800 m in both directions), connects the airport with the city of Visby. The section is selected because it is suitable for system testing during dynamic real life conditions. The electric road lies close to a roundabout, and it includes both straight sections and curves, which enables tests of the vehicles in different situations. The selected section also gives the project the opportunity to cooperate with the company Vy/Flygbussarna, with an electric bus in commercial operation as an airport shuttle.

The project was given the name Smartroad Gotland because this truly is a smart technology. The infrastructure is completely passive underneath the road until a vehicle passes over a coil, and the vehicle is identified as a certified receiver of energy. When the vehicle is approved by the system, the energy transfer starts. The identification is done meter by meter, and every section turns on and off in milliseconds. Thereby the infrastructure is completely safe for people and animals crossing the road. The person who crosses the road by foot, bike or another vehicle will not be exposed to electromagnetic fields. The access to real time data makes the system unique and easy to monitor, as well for safety, technical problems or for the possibility to manage a flexible use in case of electric grid limitations. It can also cooperate with systems for autonomous vehicles.

The first road stretch was completed in November 2019. The deployment was completed in autumn 2020. The first tests with the truck were done in December 2020. The electric bus started to operate in the autumn of 2021. The project ended in autumn 2023.

At the end of the project the electric road was dismantled. The management units along the road was removed. All dismantled material will be recycled or if possible reused.

Pioneer projects always mean challenges and for Smartroad Gotland one central issue was to verify and improve the technology’s degree of maturity, since the project is the first of its kind. In this case it means the ability to scale up the production from laboratory scale to mass production and bring the technology from lab tests to test in real life conditions. Another central aspect was to verify that no radiation interfere with the surrounding environment. The security demands in the project are strict and the closeness to the airport means additional demands regarding disturbance for radio traffic and other technical systems.  

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It was important for the project to continuously show effective interaction and good cooperation with stakeholders, in order to make electric roads a future possibility. To keep the stakeholders satisfied, to meet public interest and reduce public concern, the project organisation has had the ambition to be proactive, transparent and provide relevant information about the project progress.

Since the electric road had a minimal impact on the surrounding environment, the nearby residents were expected to be neutral or positive to the project. In the long term, electric roads decrease both local emissions and noise, which is positive for people living nearby. 

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Smartroad Gotland was working in different ways to maintain good relations with the public and to pick up opinions from nearby residents. For example, we organized information meetings and participated in the public political forum Almedalen in Visby, to create trust and avoid misunderstanding. A communication plan was developed in order to keep continuous contact with different stakeholders.  Everyone has been welcome to contact the project via email with questions. 

Wireless electric road technology is based on induction, with copper coils installed under the roadway. The coils transfer energy to a receiver that can be mounted on any kind of electric vehicle like trucks, buses and cars. The technology enables charging while driving, and by that the need for large batteries is reduced.

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For more information, go to the Technology sheet above.

Inductive charging is done by magnetic fields, which enables wireless charging. Common examples in daily life are an inductive kitchen stove or charging of an electric toothbrush.

Conductive charging on electric roads means that electric energy is transferred from the roadway, from the side or from above, via rails or electric wires, where the electric vehicles connect physically while driving. This technology requires an arm attached to the vehicle that reaches the rail or the cable.

The wireless technology makes the system flexible, safe, cost effective, easy to use, easy to maintain and has minimal impact on the surrounding environment. 

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Inductive technology is also well suited for autonomous vehicles.

With normal maintenance the coils and other equipment will have an estimated technical lifespan of approximately 30 years.

The energy transfer is not affected by snow and ice. This has been verified in lab environment and in real life conditions during tin the project.
 

The test on Gotland has been completed by tests in the northern part of Sweden, in arctic conditions.

The road only activates when a licensed vehicle passes over the coils under the pavement. Otherwise the technology is completely passive and will never transfer energy or radiation to unlicensed vehicles, humans or animals passing by. A solid safety work has been done in advance to identify safety routines and energy transfer control, and to make sure that the technology is safe for humans or the environment.

This project is a cooperation between public and private parties, with a total budget of 116 millions SEK, of which 91 millions SEK is financed by Swedish Transport Administration. 

The cost for rebuilding highways to electric highways depends on how long distances will be rebuilt and where they are built. ElectReon’s technology is made to be cost effective for both large and small projects, and is cost competitive compared to other tested technologies. The system is built on a “design to cost”-method which reduces costs over time. Comparison made by Swedish Transport Administration shows that this technology is less expensive compared to alternative solutions.

There is no answer to that yet. It depends on the financing model of the electric roads, energy prices, etcetera. But the more vehicles using the road, the lower charging cost per vehicle.

The initial goal for the project was to transfer 20 kW per reciever. After an upgrade in 2022 the results were showing an energy transfer of 30 kW per reciever.

It is perfectly suited for urban locations, both for dynamic, semi dynamic and static charging, regardless if the vehicle is moving or standing still.  For example at a bus terminal or at a logistic center, where many vehicles pass.

Manufacturers of heavy trucks and buses have shown great interest in the project and are part of the project reference group. Smartroad Gotland is a knowledge- and technology demonstration and manufacturers will possibly take a more central part in the future, regarding standardisation of vehicle components. 

Since the infrastructure lies beneath the roadway (8 cm under the surface), installing the technology in tunnels will not be a problem. Of course, the road still needs energy supply.

The Swedish Transport Administration has started planning for a larger scale deployment on a pilot road stretch for electric road. It is situated at road E20 between Örebro and Hallsberg. Before the deployment a choice of technology will be made. The Swedish Transport Administration also investigates large scale development of electric highways in Sweden. Currently 2000 kilometers of highway is estimated to be feasible from a national economics perspective.

You are welcome to contact us at smartroadgotland@electreon.com