DALLAS—The Dallas engineering firm Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. says it has been selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation to assist in the development of an inductive vehicle charging roadway at Ford Motor Co.’s electric and autonomous vehicle development center in the former Michigan Central railroad station.
Ford is working with Electreon, an Israeli startup, with assistance from NextEnergy, the Detroit-based clean energy accelerator, and the Detroit-based utility DTE Energy.
As the engineering partner, Jacobs will provide project management and design services to successfully deliver this pilot project through to operation. The consortium will design and build a one mile stretch of dynamic and stationary wireless EV charging technology in Detroit hosted by the Michigan Central mobility innovation district. The technology, developed by Electreon, will enable inductive charging by placing embedded coils under the road pavement along with charging stations at end point terminals to charge the vehicles while stationary in a queuing or parking lane. The system supports charging of equipped EVs and addresses several shortcomings in electrification related to battery limitations, charging needs and vehicle asset utilization.
Transportation accounts for approximately one quarter of all CO2 emissions globally and in the United States, it is the highest CO2 emitting sector. Reducing global transportation sector emissions is a top priority for Jacobs, and the greening of public and private vehicles is a critical step leading to improved air quality and healthier cities.