Charging While Driving: Inside the 2026 Global Race for Electrified Roadways

From Florida’s induction lanes to Sweden’s permanent e-motorway, 2026 is the year roads became chargers. Discover the tech behind “Dynamic Charging” and the future of infinite-range EVs.

Charging while driving: inside the 2026 global race for electrified roadways has reached an exciting milestone. Permanent infrastructure is now operational across multiple continents, transforming how electric vehicles recharge on long journeys. For a century, long-distance travel has followed the same exhausting pattern: Drive, Stop, Refuel, Repeat. That cycle is finally breaking thanks to Electric Road Systems (ERS) that transfer power directly to vehicles at highway speeds.

We are witnessing the birth of highways that act as continuous chargers in the 2026 global race for electrified roadways. No plugs, no cables, and no 30-minute pit stops. Leading this revolution are groundbreaking projects in the United States and Europe, marking 2026 as the pivotal year when “charging while driving” transitioned from experimental pilots to permanent infrastructure.

These electrified roadways come in two primary flavors: wireless induction for passenger cars and conductive systems for heavy freight. Both promise to solve EV range anxiety once and for all, especially on long highway journeys.

Charging While Driving: The Death of the Traditional “Pit Stop” in Electrified Roadways

Dynamic charging fundamentally redefines electric mobility and the future of electrified roadways:

• No More Range Anxiety: On equipped highways, your EV can maintain or even increase battery level while cruising, effectively delivering “infinite range” on those routes.
• Faster Fleet Turnover: Electric trucks no longer need massive, expensive batteries, reducing upfront costs and vehicle weight.
• Grid Optimization: Charging happens continuously at moderate power levels, smoothing demand peaks compared to clustered fast-charging stations.
• Environmental Wins: Reduced battery sizes mean less mining of critical minerals and lower overall vehicle emissions.

By mid-2026, over 200 kilometers of electrified roadways are operational or under final construction worldwide, with plans to expand to thousands of kilometers by 2030.

Florida Leads the Wireless Revolution in the Global Race for Electrified Roadways

In the United States, the spotlight is on wireless dynamic induction charging, perfect for everyday passenger vehicles experiencing charging while driving.

The flagship project is Florida’s newly inaugurated segment on the Lake/Orange Expressway, where underground copper coils have been embedded beneath the road surface. As compatible EVs drive over these coils at highway speeds:

• A magnetic field transfers 50kW to 100kW of power to a receiver plate mounted on the vehicle’s underbody.
• The system works seamlessly even in rain or at night, with automatic alignment tolerance of up to 30 cm laterally.
• Real-world testing shows passenger EVs can maintain battery level while running air conditioning, audio, and navigating hills, effectively neutralizing energy consumption on the highway.

Florida’s success has sparked similar initiatives in California and Michigan, with plans to electrify major interstate corridors by 2028.

Sweden’s Permanent E-Motorway: Conductive Charging for Heavy Freight in 2026

While Florida targets cars, Sweden is revolutionizing heavy-duty transport with the world’s first permanent conductive electric road, enabling true charging while driving for trucks.

The E20 motorway section between Hallsberg and Örebro now features embedded conductive rails running along the right lane. Electric and hybrid trucks equipped with a retractable pickup arm (pantograph) can:

• Lower the arm to connect with the rail while driving at up to 90 km/h.
• Receive 200kW or more of continuous power, enough to fully charge batteries during normal operations.
• Automatically disconnect when changing lanes or overtaking.

This system dramatically reduces the need for the enormous 600-800kWh batteries previously required for long-haul electric trucks, cutting vehicle weight by tons and improving efficiency. Sweden aims to electrify 3,000 km of major roads by 2035, creating a backbone for zero-emission freight.

The Global Race for Electrified Roadways Heats Up in 2026

The electrified roadway revolution extends far beyond Florida and Sweden:

• Italy (Arena del Futuro): The A35 Brebemi motorway demonstrates graphene-enhanced asphalt protecting induction coils while maintaining over 90% efficiency under heavy traffic loads.
• Germany (eHighway): Siemens has expanded overhead catenary systems on multiple Autobahn sections, allowing hybrid trucks to operate in pure-electric mode on equipped routes.
• China: The Jinan “Solar Highway” pilot uses transparent concrete panels that both protect charging coils and generate solar power to feed the system.
• United Kingdom: Trials on the M1 and A14 are testing both inductive and conductive solutions for mixed traffic.
• Israel (Electreon): Public bus routes in Tel Aviv now operate entirely on dynamic wireless charging, never needing to stop for a recharge.

These diverse approaches show that no single technology will dominate; different solutions will serve different vehicle types and regions.

Inductive vs Conductive: Technologies Powering the 2026 Race for Electrified Roadways

Technology	Best For	Power Delivery	Infrastructure Cost	Vehicle Modification	Weather Resistance
Wireless Induction	Passenger cars, buses	50-100kW	Medium	Receiver plate (light)	Excellent (fully buried)
Conductive Rails	Heavy trucks	200kW+	Lower per km	Pantograph arm	Good (with drainage)
Overhead Catenary	Trucks on fixed routes	Up to 700kW	Lowest	Pantograph on roof	Moderate (exposed wires)

The Hardware Gap: Preparing Your EV for the 2026 Electrified Roadways Revolution

This remains the biggest challenge: Most EVs on the road today lack the necessary hardware to use electrified roadways.

However, 2026 marks a turning point:

• Luxury brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche now offer “Dynamic-Ready” options with factory-installed receiver plates.
• Commercial truck manufacturers (Volvo, Scania, MAN) are standardizing conductive pickup arms on new electric models.
• Aftermarket solutions are emerging rapidly: Companies like Electreon and WiTricity offer retrofit kits for popular models including Tesla Model 3/Y and Hyundai Ioniq series.

As infrastructure expands, expect “ERS-Ready” to become a standard checkbox on new EV spec sheets within 2-3 years.

The Road Ahead: Why 2026 Is Just the Beginning for Charging While Driving and Electrified Roadways

Electrified roadways represent perhaps the most transformative infrastructure project since the interstate highway system itself. By enabling charging while driving, they remove the final major barrier to widespread EV adoption, especially for long-distance and commercial use.

As costs fall and standardization progresses (led by the SAE and ISO committees), we can expect rapid expansion. The vision of cross-continental travel with near-constant charging, minimal battery degradation, and zero emissions is no longer decades away, it’s being built right now.

2026 isn’t the end of the global race for electrified roadways, it’s the starting gun.