Electric car buyers need concrete confidence

New industry surveys show that the enthusiasm for buying electric cars could be waning as potential buyers are concerned about an inadequate charging network. This could have a detrimental impact on the Government’s green ambitions. Provision of concrete eRoads that wirelessly charge vehicles as they travel could provide buyers with the confidence to choose electric.

The AA has reported that the proportion of would-be car buyers considering an electric model has gone down from 25% to 18%. This echoes research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that sales of electric models in January 2023 was just 13% compared with 17% in 2022.

Range anxiety resulted from the lack of readily available charing points is cited as being behind the waning enthusiasm for electric cars. The Department for Transport has called for 300,000 operational public chargers by 2030 when the ban on new petrol and diesel cars comes into force. Currently, there are only 37,000.

“Ongoing reports about the lack of public chargers and the resultant ‘range anxiety’ over the electric vehicles’ battery life means that if government green targets are to be met then a different approach should be considered,” said Joe Quirke Chairman of Britpave, the infrastructure industry association. “That approach should be concrete eRoads that charge electric vehicles as they pass over them.”

Concrete eRoads allow vehicle batteries to be charged inductively via wireless systems using magnetic coils installed in the road surface that feed an electric charge to magnetic coils fitted on a vehicle’s undercarriage and so charge the battery. Other options being developed include mixing graphene or magnetic ferrite particles into concrete to make the road surface itself conductive.

The potential of concrete eRoads is being increasingly recognised. In France, a wireless electric vehicle charging system, developed by Qualcomm Technologies, has been installed in a 100m test track at Versailles, Paris. The system successfully charged two Renault Kangoos EV with 20Kw at speeds of over 62mph.

Australian-based Talga Resources is mixing graphene into concrete to make it conductive and so charge an EV whilst it is driving. Whilst in Germany, Magment – magnetizable concrete materials – are being developed by using magnetic ferrite particles as aggregates. Magment concrete consists of 87 per cent magnetisable aggregates which is waste product from the manufacture of ceramic ferrites and the recycling of electronic scrap. It allows energy to flow into a coil to inductivity charge vehicles as they pass. In the USA, the potential of Magment to provide affordable and efficient inductive charging is being examined by Indiana’s Department of Transport in collaboration with Purdue University.

Quirke emphasised the importance of the road surface durability for the successful operation of inductive charging: “Durability and minimum maintenance are key for future eRoads. This is especially so as the vehicles, particular heavy goods vehicles, will be travelling on the same path in order to charge. The road surface must, therefore, not prematurely deflect or rut. Concrete roads have a performance life of 50-60 years and are so fully able to provide the required long-term performance and durability.”

He continued: “If buyers are to have the confidence to buy electric cars and so forward the government’s green transportation ambitions then they must have confidence in the charging infrastructure. Concrete eRoads would provide concrete confidence.”