Nation’s first public EV-charging roadway

by orionontv | Nov 30, 2023 | Transportation

MDOT, City of Detroit and Electreon unveil the nation’s first public EV-charging roadway at Michigan Central

• Electreon receiver technology charges EVs while they drive across the chargers imbedded in the pavement.

DETROIT – Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Director Brad Wieferich and other partners celebrated a major milestone in the future of mobility and electrification today at the Michigan Central innovation district in Detroit as crews have finished installing the nation’s first wireless-charging public roadway.

Using technology from Electreon, 14th Street is now equipped with inductive-charging coils between Marantette and Dalzelle streets that will charge electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with Electreon receivers as they drive on the road. The road will be used to test and perfect this wireless-charging technology in a real-world environment and perfect it ahead of making it available to the public in the next few years, helping to further establish Michigan and Detroit as leaders in innovation and technology.

“We’re excited to spearhead the development and deployment of America’s first wireless charging road,” said Dr. Stefan Tongur, Electreon vice president of business development. “This milestone stands as a testament to our collaborative efforts with the State of Michigan and MDOT, the City of Detroit, Michigan Central, Ford, Mcity, Jacobs, Next Energy, DTE, and others. Alongside Michigan’s automotive expertise, we’ll demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs.

This project paves the way for a zero-emission mobility future, where EVs are the norm, not the exception.”

The move toward electrification is widely touted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who announced the pilot initiative in September 2021 to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in Michigan. MDOT and Electreon have entered a five-year commitment to develop the electric road system (ERS), piloting the technology on Michigan roads.

Electreon’s wireless charging technology is based on inductive coupling between copper coils installed below the road surface and receivers installed on electric vehicles. When a vehicle with a receiver nears the in-road charging segments, the road transfers electricity wirelessly through a magnetic field. This electricity is then transferred as energy to the vehicle’s battery. These charging segments can transfer wireless electricity to the receiver either when the vehicle is parked (static charging) or is driving (dynamic charging). The electric road is safe for drivers, pedestrians and wildlife. Each coil in the road is activated only when a vehicle with an approved receiver passes over the coil. This ensures that energy transfer is controlled and provided only to vehicles that require it.

“Michigan has always been at the forefront of innovation in mobility, and that forward-thinking is on display with the latest advances in inductive charging from Electreon, the first deployment of this electric vehicle charging technology in the United States,” said Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. “This latest milestone supports the goals of the MI Future Mobility Plan to grow Michigan’s mobility leadership, and proves that companies like Electreon can test and deploy the newest innovations right here in Michigan.”

MDOT and Electreon, a Newlab at Michigan Central member company, agreed to install a combined mile of inductive-charging roadway in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood. 14th Street, owned and maintained by the City of Detroit, now has a quarter-mile segment of wireless charging roadway. The charging road runs alongside the Newlab at Michigan Central Building, home to more than 60 tech and mobility startups, allowing for the further testing and advancement of this next-generation technology. In 2024, MDOT will begin seeking bids to rebuild part of US-12 (Michigan Avenue), which will see additional inductive charging installed. Electreon has also installed two static inductive charging stations in front of Michigan Central Station, which will be able to charge Electreon-equipped vehicles while they are parked.

“We are excited to partner with MDOT, the City of Detroit and Electreon to bring the future of roads to Michigan,” said Michigan Central CEO Joshua Sirefman. “This is what Michigan Central is all about, not only convening key partners across the public and private sectors to fuel innovation and create jobs and investment in Detroit, but also providing the environment to safely test and hone technology like Electreon in real time and in the real world. It is through this collaboration and advancement that Michigan Central is helping to tackle global problems and fast-track solutions to many of our greatest mobility challenges.”

As the auto capital of the world, Michigan stands ready to lead the nationwide charge toward electrification of our vehicles and roadways. Partnering with industry to develop and test these new technologies will help develop the blueprint necessary to introduce wireless charging roads nationwide.

“For more than a century, Detroit has been known around the world as the leader in transportation innovation,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “We are the birthplace of the auto industry, and the home of the first mile of concrete road and the first three-way traffic signal. Today, thanks to Gov. Whitmer and our partners at Michigan Central and Electreon, we can add the nation’s first wireless charging public roadway to that list of innovations.”

Remaining work along 14th Street is expected to continue through the end of 2023, with extensive testing of the inductive charging technology beginning in early 2024. Using a Ford E-Transit electric commercial van provided by Ford Motor Co. and equipped with the Electreon receiver, staff will test the efficiency and operations of the vehicle and study potential long-term public transportation opportunities.

“Developing electrified roadways may be the catalyst to accelerate interest and acceptance of EVs for all consumers,” said MDOT Director Bradley C. Wieferich. “Making it easier for EV users to find a reliable charging source without disrupting their commute supports both fleet operations and passenger travel. We’re proud to collaborate with private industry partners and the City of Detroit to support these important initiatives leading us toward a more sustainable future with fewer emissions.”

About Electreon

Electreon is the leading developer and provider of wireless charging solutions for EVs, providing end-to-end charging infrastructure and services to meet the needs and efficiency demands of shared, public, and commercial fleet operators. The company’s proprietary inductive technology charges EVs quickly and safely both while driving and parked, eliminating range anxiety, lowering total costs of EV ownership, and reducing battery capacity needs, making it one of the most environmentally sustainable, scalable, and compelling charging solutions available in the market today. Electreon collaborates with cities and fleet operators on a “sale” business model, and on a Charging as a Service (CaaS) business model, that enables cost-effective electrification of public, commercial, and autonomous fleets for smooth and continuous operation. Electreon operates 18 projects across eight countries, together with more than 100 partners. Electreon’s wireless in-road charging technology was named one of the world’s top 100 inventions for 2021 by Time Magazine. For more information, visit electreon.com.

About Michigan Central

Michigan Central is a center for advancing technologies and programs that address barriers to social, economic and physical mobility. The campus is both a convening place and a call-to-action to advance a more sustainable, equitable future through a community-based approach to mobility solutions. Building on Detroit’s rich history as an engine of change, the transformative Michigan Central project aims to strengthen the city’s existing fabric of community and accelerate its economy, while inspiring collective action on the most pressing challenges at the intersection of mobility and society worldwide.

Photo caption: MDOT Director Bradley C. Wieferich and Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison sign an Electreon coil, marking the start of the nation’s first electrified public road.

Photo caption: MDOT and partners celebrate the first-in-the-nation electrified public roadway on 14th Street in Detroit.

Michigan’s hands-free law, new data emerges

by orionontv | Nov 16, 2023 | Transportation

Five months after enacting Michigan’s hands-free law, new data emerges On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a discussion about why distracted driving initially trended down in Michigan after the state’s hands-free law took effect and why those numbers are not dropping as rapidly now. Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/13983751-five-months-after-enacting-michigan-s-hands-free-law-new-data-emerges Ryan McMahon, senior vice president of strategy for Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a Massachusetts-based company with a stated mission to make the world’s roads and drivers safer, talks about the technology employed to determine the degree of distracted driving. New data released by the company shows that in Michigan, distraction has increased every month since month 3, totaling a 7.6 percent increase. In the same time period, Ohio’s distraction level increased 2.4 percent, three times lower. McMahon explains how their telematics showed Michigan with a 36 percent reduction in distracted driving around the time the law took effect but some of those gains have been erased, a trend in other states with similar legislation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says distracted driving accounted for more than 3,500 crash deaths in 2021.

Senate committee takes up safety cameras to protect road workers

by orionontv | Nov 13, 2023 | Transportation

Senate committee takes up safety cameras to protect road workers This week, the Michigan Senate’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard testimony on legislation that would allow for the use of safety cameras to monitor the speeds of vehicles driving through road construction projects. Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/13943416-senate-committee-takes-up-safety-cameras-to-protect-road-workers Pam Shadel Fischer, senior director of External Engagement at the Governors Highway Safety Association, returns to the podcast to tout the effectiveness of the technology in other states. Later, Gregg Brunner, chief engineer and chief operations officer at the Michigan Department of Transportation, explains why he supports the legislation and his takeaway after viewing a demonstration of the technology along a busy freeway. Michigan could join 17 other states employing the technology to lower speeds in work zones, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. According to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, more than 100,000 crashes occurred in work zones in 2020, resulting in an estimated 44,000 work zone injury crashes and 857 work zone crash deaths. From a report on the topic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): “The relationship between driving speed and the risk of a crash and/or fatality is well established. In 2019, 26 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities occurred in crashes in which at least one driver was speeding.”

Commission approves 2024-28 Transportation Program

by orionontv | Nov 9, 2023 | Transportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 9, 2023 MEDIA CONTACT Michael Frezell 517-281-6519 [email protected]Monica Monsma 517-335-4381 [email protected]  State Transportation Commission approves final 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Program Fast facts: The State Transportation Commission (STC) approved MDOT’s final 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Program (5YTP) for transmission to the Michigan Legislature, state budget director, and the House and Senate fiscal agencies by March 1, 2024. The final 2024-2028 5YTP document is available at Michigan.gov/MDOT5YearProgram. LANSING, Mich. –  Today, the State Transportation Commission (STC) approved the final version of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Program (5YTP) for posting on the MDOT website and transmission to the Michigan Legislature, state budget director, and the House and Senate fiscal agencies by March 1, 2024, as required under state statute. MDOT invited public and stakeholder input on the draft document from Aug. 7 to Sept. 9, 2023. The 5YTP contains a list of planned projects for the MDOT Highway Program (state-maintained roads, bridges, and facilities), as well as information on the Public Transportation, Rail, and Aeronautics programs. The document helps connect MDOT’s long-range goals and strategies for asset management with project programming and monitoring of performance measures and budget targets. Highlights of this year’s 5YTP include: $15.8 billion in anticipated state and federally funded investments, with: $11.2 billion in Highway Program projects focused primarily on repairing and rebuilding MDOT roads and bridges, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan program contributing more than $592 million to that total. $4.7 billion in multimodal programs, covering MDOT Public Transportation (bus, marine, rail and ports) at $3.7 billion, and Aeronautics at $989 million. Highlights on Highway, Public Transportation, and Aeronautics program projects contributing to MDOT’s focus on equity and inclusion, transportation resiliency, and pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and A summary of public comments received during the comment period. Accessibility: Accommodations can be made for persons who require mobility, visual, hearing, written or other assistance. Please contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or [email protected]. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Reasonable efforts will be made to provide the requested accommodation or an effective alternative, but accommodations may not be guaranteed.

Safety experts seek solutions to wrong-way drivers

by orionontv | Nov 7, 2023 | Transportation

Safety experts seek solutions to wrong-way drivers causing crashes On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations with two people seeking to better understand the reasons for an uptick in wrong-way driving and to mitigate the risks. Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/13898507-safety-experts-seek-solutions-to-wrong-way-drivers-causing-crashes First, Gary Bubar, a traffic safety specialist for AAA Michigan, talks about the trend and his organization’s awareness and education efforts. He explains that elderly drivers and those who are intoxicated are much more likely to be wrong-way drivers. Speaking to the Detroit News (subscription) recently about wrong-way crash statistics, Bubar said, “These numbers are only insignificant if you’re not the one involved, or if you don’t know anyone involved. Across the country, we have about 350 to 400 wrong-way fatality crashes a year. If you’re one of those or related to one of those, that number is huge.” Bubar also talks about the disturbing trend, highlighted in a Michigan State Police news release this week, of fewer people using seat belts. Later, Erick Kind, Grand Region engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), talks about some measures being implemented to help address wrong-way crashes on the US-131 freeway in Grand Rapids. Kind talks about some technology being employed at freeway ramps where drivers have been found to enter in the wrong direction. These steps are in addition to some things MDOT and other departments have implemented in recent years: Lowered “Do Not Enter” signs to improve headlight angles. Added reflective strips to “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signposts. Added backside red reflective strips along the length of the off ramps. Added stop bars and turn arrows at ramp approaches, in addition to wrong-way arrows placed further back. Added turning guideline markings at ramps where the on and off ramps are adjacent to each other. Painted curbed islands at ramp terminals.

How transportation improves economy, quality of life

by orionontv | Oct 23, 2023 | Transportation