Electrified road wirelessly charging EVs at speed under construction in Florida

Tanya Weaver Tue 6 Jan 2026

Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2026/01/06/electrified-road-wirelessly-charging-evs-speed-under-construction-florida

A new expressway in central Florida will feature a stretch of electrified road that wirelessly charges electric vehicles (EVs) as they drive over it.

State Road 516 is a 7.1km toll road under construction by the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX). To be completed in 2029, it will link Lake and Orange counties.

The first phase of the project will include a 2.6km four-lane road system featuring a pilot electrified 1.2km charging lane to “bring the charge to the vehicle”. 

A wireless charging system beneath the asphalt will charge both consumer and commercial electric vehicles travelling at “highway speeds”.

Working in partnership with Advancing Sustainability Through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE), the charging system will feature inductive charging coils beneath the road surface that generate a magnetic field. This is then picked up by a receiver mounted underneath a compatible EV. 

The magnetic field will be capable of transferring up to 200kW of power, allowing EVs to recharge without stopping or plugging in. The aim isn’t to fully recharge the vehicles, but to maintain or extend range during normal travel.

CFX says the pilot is designed to help inform the industry about how to make road electrification accessible, affordable and more universal across the US.

While the system will only work on specially equipped EVs during the initial testing, the hope is that it could be expanded to alleviate some of the biggest challenges facing EV uptake such as range anxiety, lengthy charging times and a lack of charging facilities on long, busy stretches of road.

The project will also include solar panels to power infrastructure, wildlife crossings and shared-use paths.

Michelle Maikisch, executive director of CFX, said: “The Lake/Orange Expressway will be an example of what is possible when we think about transportation into the future. Innovation, technology and sustainable elements will make for more efficient and responsible transportation solutions.”

In December 2025, another pilot in the US saw large commercial EVs wirelessly recharged at speed during an electrified motorway demonstration  by Purdue University researchers.