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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Korea Roadway Recharges Cars

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(Newser) – South Korean scientists are working on road technology that allows electric vehicles to continually recharge while driving, Reuters reports. Inductive charging, used with watertight electric toothbrushes, requires no contact between power source and appliance. For vehicles, electric strips would be embedded in the road at intervals, and a magnetic field would pull power into the car’s battery. The strips are safe to the touch.

The roadway, which would be concentrated where cars come to a stop, could shrink the size of batteries in vehicles or increase their range. “If we place these strips on about 10% of roadways in a city, we could power electric vehicles,” the lead developer said. It is not, however, a cheap alternative. Installing the system will cost about $500,000 per mile—before the cost of electricity.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak sits on an electric vehicle during its test drive on the experimental roadway.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak sits on an electric vehicle during its test drive on the experimental roadway.   (AP Photo)
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak looks at an electric vehicle during its test drive at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak looks at an electric vehicle during its test drive at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.   (AP Photo)
An electric toothbrush.
An electric toothbrush.   (AP Photo)
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5 comments
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Robert_Dada
May 18, 09 2:37 PM CDT
We are slipping so far behind the rest of the world on so many things. Where are the "America No. 1" chanting lunkheads? Reply
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prowlerzee
May 18, 09 3:07 PM CDT
Yeah, Robert...and how big is Korea? This is a great idea...as is outfitting our country with highspeed rail travel...but not so easy to implement in a country our size. Reply
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Robert_Dada
May 18, 09 3:41 PM CDT
Very true, especially when you've been blowing money on unnecessary wars. The point is: we aren't even to the point of piloting this in specified urban centers, etc.
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Jojo
May 18, 09 3:23 PM CDT
I was gonna say, isn't South Korea about the size of Ohio? LOL But it's ok, it's actually to our advantage for them to be first in technology. It gives the prices a chance to fall before it gets to us. Reply
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justme
May 18, 09 5:35 PM CDT
BTW This technology also requires costly additions to the car as well. Additions that won't work over the vast part of our country. Good tech is only good if it is practical for us. Induction charging might be used to replace the plug-in unit but not much else. Reply
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