Israel’s ElectReon, Stellantis and Iveco to demonstrate potential of wireless EV charging in Italy

Israel-based ElectReon, a leading provider of inductive in-road charging technology for commercial and passenger electric vehicles (parked, slow-moving or driving at speeds) has announced that it will join ‘Arena of the Future’ project in Brescia, Italy where the company will integrate its wireless technology to charge two Stellantis vehicles, and an Iveco bus while driving.

The project aims to demonstrate contactless charging for a range of EVs as they drive on highways and toll roads as a potential pathway to decarbonising transportation systems along motorway transport corridors.

Oren Ezer, CEO, ElectReon said: “We are honoured to be the technology partner of yet another European consortium of world class partners, including automotive giants Iveco and Stellantis, to demonstrate the viability of wireless charging technologies to power Electric Road Systems (ERS). The Arena of the Future project will demonstrate how a toll-road can be transformed into a charging asset for all road users. With Europe at the forefront of this electric mobility shift, there is a critical need for assets that can be supported by suitable, efficient and sustainable charging methodologies. ElectReon’s wireless charging technology enables vehicles to charge as they drive at any speed on electric highways, offers road users total convenience and increased affordability, equips governments and policymakers with a sustainable way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the entire life cycle of electric vehicles (EVs) and offers a viable path to expedite achieving net carbon emissions throughout the entire transportation sector.”  

This consortium partnership announcement follows the company’s signing of a MoU with the Italian toll road operator, Brebemi, in October last year. During the project, ElectReon will provide the inductive wireless charging technology to be utilised by a consortium of local and international partners. These partners include Iveco, Iveco Bus and Stellantis, as well as toll road operator Brebemi for the A35 Brebemi-Aleatica Motorway, and additional partners: ABB, a leading global engineering and power electronics company; Fiamm Energy Technology, a multinational energy storage provider; Mapei, an Italian chemical manufacturer; Pizzarotti, large-scale projects builders; Prysmian Group, a leading player in the energy and telecom cable systems industry; TIM Business, a 5G and connectivity provider; and leading Italian research institutions including Politecnico di Milano, Roma Tre University and Parma University. 

The organisations will work collaboratively over the coming months to demonstrate the wireless dynamic inductive charging capabilities of ElectReon’s technology, which will entail the construction of a 1,050 metre asphalt ring road fed by 1MW of power. This closed ring road will be given the name ‘Arena of the Future’ or ‘Arena del Futuro’ in Italian, is located near the Chiari Ovest exit of the A35 Motorway, approximately 50 kilometres from the city of Milan.

The project will enable Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology to be demonstrated for a full range of EVs in multiple modes; including Static Power Transfer for stationary vehicles and Dynamic Power Transfer for vehicles in-motion. The project partners will also explore advanced IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity technologies to ensure greatest road safety and ensure the maximum productivity of commercial vehicles in the deployment of wireless charging road systems, as well as exploring road construction optimization in order to increase road durability while not interfering with the efficiency of inductive charging systems built into the specified roads.

As an important step in ElectReon’s strategy to collaborate with major players in the automobile industry, the company will demonstrate the suitability of its wireless charging technology for a full range of applications in collaboration with several passenger vehicles as well as Iveco’s intercity bus. This the company says is a critical milestone towards its mission of  offering fleet customers a complete and seamless vehicle-side wireless charging solution for rapid decarbonisation.