STOCKHOLM — The world's first electrified road that recharges batteries of moving vehicles driving on it has opened in Sweden.
Around 2 kms of electric rail has been embedded in a road close to Stockholm, according to the Guardian.
The system transfers electricity from the installed underground rail to the vehicle above through a flexible arm that connects to the charging vehicle, according to Inhabitat.
The electrified road is split up into 50m sections. Individual sections are only powered when a car or truck is overhead. The current is disconnected if a vehicle stops.
When the vehicle drives off the electric rails, the system calculates the energy consumption and debits the driver.
At a cost of around €1 million per kilometer, the cost to electrify roads is 50 times lower than required to build an urban tram line, according to the Guardian.
The Swedish government's road agency is planning for future national expansion.