France Launches Highway Pilot for Wireless EV Charging

France has launched the world’s first highway pilot that allows electric vehicles to charge while driving, marking a significant step in the country’s plan to electrify 9,000km of roads by 2035. The 1.5km test segment on the A10 motorway near Paris enables heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles to charge at full highway speed using dynamic wireless charging technology.

The Charge As You Drive project, supported by France’s innovation bank Bpifrance, represents the first real-world deployment capable of sustaining high-power transfer in continuous motion. The system transmits electricity through copper coils embedded beneath the road surface, which create a magnetic field that transfers energy to receivers mounted under electric vehicles. This technology allows vehicles, from passenger cars to freight trucks, to charge without stopping or plugging in.

Independent testing by laboratories at Gustave Eiffel University verified that the system achieved an average power transfer of more than 200kW, with peaks exceeding 300kW. These levels are double the energy required for a heavy-duty truck to maintain speed and recharge simultaneously.

This performance makes Electreon the first company to demonstrate reliable high-power dynamic charging for heavy vehicles at motorway speeds. Vehicles using the A10 pilot can exit with a higher charge than when they entered, providing an operational model that could reduce battery size, shorten turnaround times, and lower total ownership costs for freight operators.

“This marks a pivotal moment in the global development of wireless roads. Our system’s performance not only meets but exceeds French government targets. These results pave the way for the deployment of thousands of kilometres of wireless roads in France and beyond,” said Oren Ezer, CEO, Electreon.

The pilot aligns with the French Ministry of Transport’s Electric Road System roadmap, which targets the electrification of national highways to reduce freight emissions, responsible for over 16% of France’s total greenhouse gases.

Nicolas Notebaert, CEO, VINCI Concessions, and President, VINCI Autoroutes, said the results confirm the potential for large-scale implementation. “Deploying this technology across France’s main road networks will accelerate heavy-vehicle electrification and reduce freight emissions,” he said.

France’s project positions the country at the forefront of the global race to build Electric Road Systems (ERS). Electreon is also advancing similar pilots in Germany, Italy, and Sweden, contributing to the creation of common interoperability and cost standards for dynamic wireless charging infrastructure.

In the United States, the company has deployed the first public wireless charging road in Detroit and is working with UCLA to power campus shuttles ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Additionally, Utah’s ASPIRE Center is testing Electreon’s system for heavy-duty Kenworth trucks and port logistics at Salt Lake City’s Inland Port.